


Play The Game

by DarkHououmon



Series: The Black Chalk Trilogy [2]
Category: ChalkZone
Genre: ChalkZone - Freeform, Gen, nickelodeon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-29
Updated: 2013-12-05
Packaged: 2017-12-30 21:17:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 52
Words: 230,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1023482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkHououmon/pseuds/DarkHououmon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sequel to Sinful Behaviors. "I know very well who you are...Snap White. You are the zoner that beat the odds against the Dark Creator. But can you save your dear friends...from me? Time is running out, Snap. You better hurry."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

The jail..no..the reform facility, as some have chosen to call it, was very quiet. There would usually be the bustling and shouting of inmates locked up for whatever crime they had committed. In addition to that, there would usually be the sound of wardens trying to get the prisoners to calm down and not start a riot. Riots had been occurring a little too frequently, and they wanted to put an end to it.

But right now, it was just quiet. And it wasn’t because anything strange was going on. There was no bailout where most of the prisoners escaped. It was just time for them to sleep. It was difficult to tell, at least to someone outside of ChalkZone, when it was time to sleep when ChalkZone was divided into Day and Night Zones, neither changing.

During these times, the wardens didn’t have much to do. They would sit around, perhaps eat donuts and drink coffee. Sometimes they would tell jokes or play games. What else could they do? They had no prisoners to keep in line. And they didn’t have to worry about anyone escaping. Security cameras were activated all the time, and if anyone tried to get in and out, they would see it.

But now, this time, things were going to be a little different...

It all began with the alarm. The red flashing light gave the room a pale red hue, alerting them. The wardens got out of their seats and immediately checked what the problem was. Going through their security cameras, they did not see anything unusual. All the prisoners were sound asleep.

Yet still the alarm went off, and something was not right. Soon a shadow moved along the wall. The wardens got out their guns and readied themselves for a fight.

“Who is there? Show yourself!” A warden shouted.

Something that looked like a blur of yellow and red rushed towards him. A horrible scream as something punctured his arm. The warden fell to the ground, clutching his arm in absolute agony. The other wardens stared at him in horror as the arm started to swell.

A second warden began to open fire at the blur. He only got two shots in before there was a colorful slash, and then blood spewed from his neck. He fell backgrounds and crumpled onto the ground.

As the remaining wardens rushed their fallen comrades, pulling out their radios to call for help, the yellow blur moved quickly down the hallways, prisoners on both sides. The commotion woke up some of the prisoners and they scowled at the strange intruder, unsure of what to make of what was going on. Some of the prisoners were amused by the intruder’s actions, while others were clearly frightened and backed away, not wanting to get killed as well.

But this intruder had other plans. He had no use for any of these prisoners. There was only one that mattered. He moved down the halls, looking left and right. He would bare his teeth when he saw he didn’t find the prisoner that he wanted. And as he took each step without finding this particular one, the angrier he began to look.

Then, finally, he saw what he was looking for. Ears swiveled upright as a smirk came across his face. His long fangs, dripping with blood, were exposed in demented glee. There, at the end of the hallway, was a very large cell, closed off by huge, thick bars. There was only one prisoner this place had that would require such a strong cell to hold.

The intruder made his way over quickly. He slowed to a walk and he stopped in front of the cell. He stared into the room, eyeing the prisoner that was kept inside.

A large zoner, standing high above him easily. Large wings with hooks at the end of each elongated finger. Bushy fur covering his body. A tail that swished back and forth. Piercing eyes staring into his, and a long muzzle with sharp teeth, exposed as the lips were pulled back into a snarl.

“What do you...want...?” The zoner asked, his voice low, dark, and growly.

The intruder stayed quiet. He examined this zoner up and down. He was bigger than he thought he was going to be. And he certainly was ferocious. He could see that the zoner had been chained to the wall, a clear sign of his brutality. If that wasn’t enough evidence, the floor and walls had clear signs of claw marks, deep and long. Yes, he would do quiet nicely.

The intruder placed his hand on one of the thick cell bars. His mouth contorted into an evil smile.

“I want to make a deal with you.” The intruder said, green eyes brightening.

The zoner tilted his head. He looked surprised at first. Then a glare replaced that initial surprise. “What did you have in mind?”

“Something..that you would enjoy. Oh so much.” The intruder said.

The alarm was still going off. The intruder knew he did not have much time left to get this zoner. He turned his head to make sure the wardens hadn’t come over yet. He knew that the remaining wardens wouldn’t be dumb enough to come after him without reinforcement.

He turned his attention back to the zoner. He used a thick claw to pick the lock. And open it swung. He took a few steps into the cell, staring at the winged zoner.

“If you agree to help me, I will get you out of this dump.” The intruder said. “And you can have what it is you desire so much... I can sense it. And if you help me, you will get it.”

The zoner stared at him, eyes narrowed into slits and teeth bared. It looked like, at first, the zoner did not believe him and had no desire to take orders from anyone. But then, the angry look was soon replaced with an evil smile of his own.

The zoner said, “Okay then... Free me, lead me out of here...and tell me what this..plan of yours is.”

The intruder went up to the control panel that kept the zoner locked in those chains. With a swipe, three deep gashes cut through, destroying it in an instant. The zoner stretched his wings, letting out a screech. The intruder jumped onto his back. Like he was requested, he guided the winged zoner out, knocking down anyone who stood in their way.

They took off into the air. The wardens, including the reinforcements that came, began to shoot at them. But each bullet missed. They were horrified by what had transpired. One warden pulled out his radio and shouted into it in a panicked voice.

“Attention! Code red! Draow has escaped!”


	2. Interruption On The Course

A small red ball was set on the ground. Green and flat, and seemed to glint in the light. Something cold and metal was placed next to it. This metat thing moved back and forth slowly, deliberately, before it was finally struck. It made a clang sound as it hit against the red ball.

The small sphere was sent flying through the air. It rolled across what appeared to be green hills, although grass was not present. The ground was still fuzzy, but it wasn’t plants. It looked fake, synthetic. A little ruffled, yet not enough to slow down the ball. The object rolled easily over the structures as it headed towards what looked like a hole in the ground.

The ball kept rolling until it reached a metal rim. It rolled around in circles for a couple seconds. It was about to roll over into the hole, but then it stopped.

Suddenly, tiny mechanical legs sprang out from a hidden compartment underneath the ball. It stood up and, with the whirring of mechanical parts clanging together, walked away from the hole. It went roughly a foot away. Then the legs disappeared and it dropped back on the ground.

“What?!”

The cry came from Penny, who stood a distance away, holding a put in her hands. She looked absolutely shocked and frustrated by what had happened.

“You didn’t do anything wrong, Penny.” Snap said. He stood next to her, holding his own golf club plus a blue ball. “Why are you so worked up?”

Penny’s eyes were still on the ball. “That ball just...walked away!” She exclaimed, pointing at the small object.

“Uh...yeah. So?” Snap asked.

“That’s not how you play miniature golf!” She replied.

Snap shook his head. “Oh, Penny. Of course it’s not how you play mini golf. We aren’t playing mini golf, remember? We’re playing...” Snap walked up to place his ball down. He twirled his golf club with ease, giving Penny a somewhat smug smile like he was showing off, which it was most certain that he was. “Chalk golf! It’s way more fun than boring old miniature golf!”

As Snap placed his ball down and got ready to hit it, Penny put a hand on her hip and narrowed her eyes.

“At least ‘boring miniature golf’ makes sense! I don’t know how I’m supposed to play this...chalk golf if the balls just walk away like that.” Penny said. “They’re supposed to stay put!”

“But that’s where the fun lies, Penny.” Rudy said. He was throwing his green ball up in the air and catching it repeatedly. He took a stand next to Penny and said, “In chalk golf, the object is to force the balls into the hole, not knock them into the hole. They will do whatever they can to get away from the hole. They are allowed to walk a foot away in any direction. That’s where the fun comes in. The challenge. Don’t you think that is more entertaining?”

“Hmm well I suppose...” Penny muttered. “But it still doesn’t make a lot of logical sense.”

“We’re in ChalkZone, Penny. Different rules.” Rudy reminded her.

Rudy was enjoying spending the day with Penny and Snap. His parents would be gone all day and Penny’s mom allowed Penny stay over at Rudy’s for a while. Since they had a lot of time, he decided to go into ChalkZone and play a round of chalk golf with Snap and Penny. He had played the game once before with Snap and he found it to be quite fun and challenging. He wanted Penny to have fun with it too, so he had asked if she wanted to play.

Penny wasn’t too big into golf, but she did like miniature golfing from time to time. So she agreed. Rudy realized, too late, he should have warned her chalk golf was...different than mini golf. The thought hadn’t crossed his mind, and he felt bad for not saying anything earlier. He understood her confusion of the ball walking away. He was perplexed too until Snap explained the rules of chalk golf.

He had thought about playing something Penny was more familiar with, such as chinese chalkers, but he wanted to do something new and different today. It would become boring if they played the same games over and over again. And he knew Penny would have wanted to try something new, so he thought this game would be perfect.

After Snap hit his ball, it was Rudy’s turn. He went up to the clearly defined white mark on the ground where the ball is supposed to go. He put his green ball down and prepared to hit it. As he was preparing, he couldn’t help but take notice of the golf club he was using.

It was shaped a little different from Penny and Snap’s putts. It was a tad heavier and thicker. It was designed to accomodate for his left hand. And one only needed to take one look at his palm to know that something was wrong with it. Although Snap’s scars have all but disappeared, for some reason, the scar on Rudy’s left hand never completely vanished. To this day, he could still see the reminders of when Mr. Cosmo stabbed him in the hand.

But the scar was not the only reminder. There was no pain, which relieved Rudy, but there was some permanent damage. The knife had harm to some nerves and tendons there. He didn’t notice it at first because of the adrenaline pumping through his body. There was so much going on, he hadn’t realized that he could be doing more harm to his hand.

He had lost some range of motion and some strength from his left hand. He could still use it adequently, but he could no longer grasp things as tightly as he used to, nor could he close his hand as firmly. Due to this, if he were to try to use a regular golf club, his left hand would constantly be slipping and he wouldn’t be able to muster up enough strength to knock the ball very far.

Rudy remembered how stupid he felt when the doctors told him that if he had allowed his hand to heal and not moved it around so much, the damage would have been less severe. Rudy recalled that he still used his left hand quite a bit in the fight, and he wished he had remembered to take extra care. Snap and Penny didn’t fault him for it, though, as the situation handed to him at the time would have made it difficult to not use both hands.

The doctors had been hopeful that he would regain the lost motion and strength within several months. But now, being 18 months since they fought Mr. Cosmo, there was no sign of change in his hand. The doctors declared that it was, most likely, permanent and that he’d have to adjust to it.

For most tasks, Rudy didn’t really notice. It was only when he tried to do certain things, such as hold a golf club in the correct manner, or manipulate something small such as a pencil or a piece of chalk. He was thankful for being right handed in this regard. If it had happened to his right hand, he wasn’t sure how well he could protect ChalkZone if the task of drawing became too hard for him.

Rudy sometimes still has nightmares about Mr. Cosmo. Sometimes he dreams that he survived, somehow, and was coming back to get him and his friends. Penny and Snap admitted they had similar dreams as well. The man had left such a big imprint on all of them, and as much as they wanted to forget the ordeal, they knew it was impossible.

Rudy put those thoughts away. He didn’t want to dwell on the topic of Mr. Cosmo right now. He was supposed to be having fun.

He quickly realized that he had been taking a little too long to swing his club. Penny and Snap were staring at him, eyes narrowed in annoyance. He smiled sheepishly and apologized quickly. He positioned his golf club and swung it.

The trio watched the green ball roll across the flat ground. Rudy’s ball almost perfectly blended in, the only thing making it stand out was the fact that it reflected more light and thus was a little more noticeable. It went past Snap’s blue ball, which rested two feet away from the hole. It did a circle around much like Penny’s did, but unlike hers, his went right in.

“Great shot, Rudy!” Penny exclaimed, giving Rudy a few claps.

“Yeah!” Snap cheered. “Way to go, Bucko!”

“Thanks!” Rudy said, smiling. It was at times like these that Rudy forgot about how weak his left hand was.

Now it was Penny’s turn again. She walked over to her red ball. She stood next to it and readied her golf club.

“Now you remember the rules, don’t ya, Buckette?” Snap asked, a smile on his face. “Or are we going to enjoy another round of a loud ‘what’ in our ears?”

Penny glared at him for a second. Her expression quickly softenend and she let out a light chuckle. “No, Snap. I think I got it now.”

She stared intently at the ball and looked at where the hole was. She moved her golf club back slowly. Her arms tensed up. Rudy and Snap watched as she did this. She looked like she was having some difficulty deciding what angle to shoot from and with how much strength. Finally, she pulled the club back and swung hard...

“What?! Are you kidding me?!”

The sudden shout caused Penny to overshoot her putt, causing her to stumble forward. She wound up kicking her ball clean out of the golf course and onto the grass. Rudy rushed forward and grabbed her arm to steady her.

“What was that?” Penny asked.

Snap had already found the source. “Over there!”

The trio saw a group of zoners gathered near a small chalky lake, located downhill from the golf course. There looked to be about five zoners, all of the stick figure variety. Most of them were a little shorter than Rudy and Penny, but one was pretty tall, about as high as an average human. And it was clear he was the one who was speaking. He stood in front of the group and made wild gestures with his hands.

Rudy, Penny, and Snap got closer to see what the commotion was. The tallest zoner was excited about something, but from the looks in his eyes, it wasn’t anything too good. He looked startled, like something had really disturbed him. The other zoners either looked surprised or skeptical.

“No way, man! They, like, have tight security over there.” One of the zoners said. “There’s, like, no way something like that could have happened, man.”

“I second.” Another zoner agreed. “I think it is preposterous to suggest that one of the most refined...rehabilitation facilities...could fall prey to something like this.”

The tall zoner shook his head rapidly. “No, you don’t understand! This guy, he was fast!”

“He does have a point there.” A third zoner commented.

The fourth one nodded his head in agreement. “I don’t find it that farfetched that someone could have been skilled enough to pull a job like this off.”

“Thank you!” The tall zoner said before turning to address everyone. “We need to be on the lookout! They don’t know where he could be! He might be anywhere in ChalkZone by now! We need to...”

“Excuse me?”

Rudy hated to interrupt, but curiosity was getting the better of him. And from how this zoner was talking, whatever had happened was a huge deal. If there was anyway at all he could help, he wanted to do so. He was the protector of ChalkZone after all. Whenever possible, he would take up responsibility and offer aide wherever he could. And this sounded like a time where his help would definitely be needed.

The tall zoner turned his gaze towards Rudy. “Great Creator! Thank goodness! Maybe you could do something!”

“What happened?” Penny asked.

“It was horrible! Absolutely horrible!” The tall zoner cried, raising his hands in the air. “The jail..it had been attacked! And whoever it was helped a dangerous criminal escape!”

The trio gasped in surprise.

“Who managed to escape that place?” Snap asked. “And why would anyone help them get out?”

“I don’t know, Snap.” Rudy said. If he had to guess, whoever broke out this dangerous criminal must have wanted this criminal for something. But what, he didn’t know. Whatever it was, it couldn’t be good. He turned his attention back to the tall zoner. “Do you know anything else? Anything at all?”

“Yeah! I know who the prisoner was who escaped!” The tall zoner cried.

“You do?” Penny asked.

The tall zoner nodded. “I couldn’t believe it when I heard the news. I thought it was impossible. But no! It’s true! It’s all true!”

Rudy only noticed now, but the tall zoner’s frantic cries had drove away the other zoners. Even the ones who agreed with him. He guessed that they were tired of hearing him rant on about the same bit of news. But the zoner didn’t really seem to care that they left, since he found someone else he could spew the information to, which was Rudy and his two friends.

“Well? Don’t keep us in the dark. Tell us who escaped!” Snap asked.

“It was...” The tall zoner gulped, his eyes widening. “It was...”

“Yes?” Rudy asked, waiting somewhat impatiently for the zoner to spill the beans.

The tall zoner paused, gulping loudly. He looked at the trio in their eyes, his own filled with absolute terror. He finally answered. His voice was but a whisper. But it was enough for the three to hear. And what they did hear, made their blood freeze into ice.

“Draow...”

Rudy’s eyes widened in horror at the sound of that name. No..it wasn’t possible. It couldn’t be. Draow was locked up in a tight facility, secured with the best cell and chains. There was..no way he could be out. Of all the prisoners there, surely he wasn’t the one who escaped. No...no it couldn’t be..

Rudy backed slowly away, his face going pale. His friends looked just as horrified by the news. They didn’t move, just stared at the zoner in absolute shock. Rudy looked in the direction of the prison that Draow had been sent to. If that had been the one that was attacked, and if Draow was really free...

He tried to shake off his shock and turned to his friends. “Come on. We need to check this out.”


	3. Escaped Jailbird

Hearing Draow’s name mortified Rudy, and he knew his friends felt the same way. He found it hard to believe that, out of all the prisoners, it had to be Draow who got out. Draow, the most vicious of all Cosmo’s drawings, and the most loyal to him. Rudy hoped that he misheard, or this was all just some kind of terrible nightmare...but something told him that, this time, it was for real.

Out of all of them, Snap had been the most frightened by the news of the escape. Rudy couldn’t blame him. It was because of Draow that Snap suffered so much at the hands of Mr. Cosmo. Draow was the one who viciously attacked him, knocked him out, and dragged him through the portal to deliver him to Mr. Cosmo. And Draow had almost killed Snap by ripping open a hole in the wall and let water spray all over him. Had it not been for Mr. Wilter, Snap would have been washed away.

And even after that failed, Draow had been still determined. He tried to rip Snap from Rudy’s hands and crush him in his jaws. He had gotten so close to doing that, with the only thing stopping him being Tsere. According to what Rapsheeba and Wilter told him, Draow had snatched Snap from the hospital and attempted to murder him by dropping him from a great height. It was only by luck that Tsere was able to catch him in time.

Rudy and Penny also had their share of Draow’s ferocity. During their first meeting, Draow had menaced Rudy, and in the hallways when they tried to escape, Draow used his glass trick to get closer to them. Rudy’s ears sometimes still ache as he remembered how horrible that noise had been. Rudy can still feel the beast’s jaws on his arm from when Mr. Cosmo went to take him up to decide on Snap’s fate. The sharp teeth puncturing his skin...that was not something he wanted to ever feel again.

And Penny...she had almost been killed by him, too. She had been taken down to Draow’s room and nearly fed to him. Well not fed...zoners can’t eat humans even if they tried. The fluids would dissolve them from the inside out. But they can still harm humans and Draow was doing all he could to do just that to Penny. He even managed to slice her shoulder open. If it hadn’t been for Ms. Saffron, Penny would have surely died.

Rudy winced as he thought of Ms. Saffron. Although it has been over a year, he still feels a pang sometimes when he thinks of that woman. It still hurt knowing that, even though they managed to defeat Cosmo, it still came with a hefty price. Ms. Saffron didn’t deserve to die...

Rudy was going to make sure that no one else would fall victim to Cosmo. He was going to make sure that Draow, the one zoner that is most like Cosmo in terms of personality and viciousness, would be unable to bring damage to innocents. He would do whatever he could to capture him and bring him back to jail where he belongs, where he won’t be able to hurt anyone. And this time, he would ensure that Draow can never escape again.

They soon came upon the jail. It was sitting on top of a hill. Rudy noted that it looked a lot like the jail that Penny sent Butch to on her first trip to ChalkZone. The major difference was that it was larger and scarier looking, colored black with sharp, hooked spires at the top. The very shape of the jail sent chills down his spine. It looked almost like a fanged skull, glaring at him hatefully. If he didn’t know this was just a jail, he’d think it was some painfully obvious hideout for vicious baddies.

When they got closer, they started noticing some damage done to it on the outside. It wasn’t a whole lot. They assumed most of the damage was on the inside. On the outside, they could see what looked like a hole in the wall. It was hard to tell how that was put there. Something about it looked...weird. Something wasn’t right about it. And when they arrived at that spot, they quickly saw why.

The hole looked too clean. It was a near perfect circle with no rough edges at all. Whoever cut open this hole, whatever they were using was very powerful and efficient. But it also had to have been quiet. If there had been any noise, the intruder would not have been able to get in. The jail’s outside weapons would have shot him away quite easily. With Draow’s help, he would be able to survive the weaponry, but when he was getting in, obviously he didn’t have the bat wolf’s help yet.

Rudy could hear a commotion going on inside the building. Arguing it sounded like. Some of the voices sounded worried, others angry, others indifferent or confident. A part of Rudy wanted to stay outside as he wasn’t sure if he really wanted to see the damage done to the interior of the place. Yet he knew he couldn’t do that. Not when Draow was involved. Cautiously, he and the others entered the jail.

The first thing they saw horrified them. Laying out on stretchers, prepared to be moved, were two zoners. They were clearly dead, their eyes wide with the eerie stare of the lifeless. One of the warden’s necks was ripped apart, revealing a red mess. The other one was much more gruesome. Their arm had, for a lack of a better time, burst open. It must have swollen so much that it broke the skin. Blood and green ooze could be seen, and it made them all sick to their stomachs to witness, especially with the rotten bone and muscle exposed to their sights.

In addition to that, they could see clear damage to the interior. Broken bits off the walls. Claw marks in the concrete and brick. Blood stains from where the wardens were attacked. In the distance, in the direction they knew Draow had once been held, they could see smoke pillowing out. They guessed that the intruder must have damaged the controls that kept Draow chained to the wall. Either that, or something else was down there that they weren’t aware of, which could be the case.

Rudy found a tuft of light brown fur on the ground. He went over and picked it up. He stared at it closely. His eyes quickly widened. The shade of brown perfectly matched Draow’s. There was no one else he knew it could be. He showed the tuft of fur to his two friends, and they were just as shocked.

And if that wasn’t evidence enough for them, Rudy could see deep cuts in the walls that were the perfect size for Draow’s ‘finger’ claws. Judging from the position of the lines, Draow had opened up his wings and ran through the hallway, knocking down the wardens as they tried to stop him. Some of the claw marks on the ground could have been made from when he was running to get out the door.

Rudy was about to look a little more when he heard someone shout from behind him.

“How can you let this happen?!” A familiar voice called out. “Can’t any of you morons do anything right?!”

“We’re sorry! We tried, but Draow...” A surviving warden pleaded.

“Don’t give me any of your excuses! I gave you some of the best weaponry money could buy, and even that wasn’t enough for you!” The familiar voice snarled.

Rudy, Penny, and Snap looked over at the source of the voice. They didn’t see who it was at first because the ambulance were walking in the way. They were getting the two dead wardens out of the prison. It was a surefire thing that the warden with the burst arm would be taken to get an autopsy done to see what had caused that to happen to his arm. Once they had gotten out of the way, they could see who had been talking.

It was Skrawl. He was dressed up in what looked like a warden’s uniform, except his outfit clearly marked him as higher up on the hiearchy ladder. He was scowling at the other wardens, who backed away from him like they were afraid they would get hit by his claws.

The trio weren’t at all surprised to see him. After Mr. Cosmo’s defeat, Skrawl’s desires to scheme had diminished. Oh he tried once in a while, but he found he could no longer do it. He found it even harder fighting against Rudy again, especially after all that time helping him to defeat Mr. Cosmo. So, eventually, Skrawl had given up on schemes and instead opted to assume control of one of the jails.

They hadn’t known it was this jail, but then again, it seemed pretty obvious. The weaponry built into the jail, along with its overall look, did look kinda like something they’d expect Skrawl to do. Although the idea of Skrawl being in charge of a prison took some time to get used to, Rudy was glad that he no longer had to worry about the jellybean trying to take over ChalkZone.

Rudy and his friends move closer to where Skrawl and the wardens were. Rudy hoped that they could overhear something that would tell him more of what happened, like just who it was that broke Draow out of prison.

“Weren’t you paying attention to the cameras?!” Skrawl snarled, pointing a claw at one of the wardens.

The warden backed up a couple of steps. “Well c-certainly! But nothing had showed up on the cameras!”

Skrawl narrowed his mismatched eyes. “Impossible! My cameras detect everything! They would have seen...”

Another warden interrupted Skrawl. With a nervous voice, he said, “With all due respect, sir... He’s telling the truth. We were all watching the security cameras. There was nothing on there.”

But Skrawl looked far from convinced. He bared his pale yellow teeth at the wardens and advanced on them. The wardens backed up away from him, putting their hands out in front to protect them from the jellybean’s wrath. Had this happened before the incident with Mr. Cosmo, Rudy would have thought he would attack. But, given with how Skrawl had changed, he was not surprised when Skrawl stopped advancing and chose to just glower at the wardens instead.

Skrawl opened his mouth to say something, but something made him stop. He noticed something in the corner of his eye. He turned his head. His eyes widened briefly. Then he folded up his arms against his chest and gave what could be described as a non-malicious amused smile.

“Master Tabootie... What a surprise to see you here.” He was being sarcastic of course. There was no way Skrawl would be surprised by Rudy arriving.

Rudy and his friends walked towards Skrawl. Rudy asked, “Skrawl, what happened here?”

Skrawl gave him a skeptical look. “You mean you don’t know? Someone broke in here and freed Draow!” He cast his gaze on the wardens. “And these idiots not only weren’t able to stop him, but they claim that my cameras didn’t catch this intruder...”

“Maybe they’re telling the truth.” Snap suggested, smirking. “Maybe your security cameras aren’t all they’re cracked up to be.” Snap jumped back when Skrawl snarled angrily at him and looked like he was going to rip his head off. “Whoa! Sorry! Man, talk about your bad temper...”

Rudy glared at Skrawl. “You didn’t have to react like that, Skrawl. Snap has a point. Maybe something was wrong with the cameras at the time.”

The jellybean narrowed his eyes. “Impossible! They’re always up and running twenty-four seven!”

“Unless the intruder knew how to disable them.” Penny suggested. “Or maybe they figured out a way to get in during a time when the cameras weren’t looking at him. I know how much you take pride in your...work Skrawl, but you should accept that someone could find flaws in them, and exploit them.”

Skrawl sighed. “Perhaps you are right, genius girl.”

“Skrawl, we know the basis of what happened.” Rudy said. “What we want to know is do you know anything else? Do you know who freed Draow?”

Skrawl shook his head, a look that showed slight regret on it. “I’m afraid not, chalk boy. They didn’t get a good look at him. They claim he was too fast for them to see. The only thing we know is that two of its colors were apparently yellow and red. It possessed claws which it used to tear open one of my wardens’ throats, and it is apparently venomous too. That’s what happened to that guy’s arm if you didn’t see that coming in.”

Penny shivered visibly. “It was absolutely horrible...”

Skrawl nodded. “It was even worse when I first arrived. Be glad that you didn’t see it burst open.”

This sent chills down the trio’s spine. They already had a feeling that the arm burst open, but to actually witness it... They were glad they didn’t get here until now.

The idea of a venomous zoner disturbed Rudy. He wondered how many more zoners would suffer at this intruder’s hands. He wondered just how much more damage the intruder could cause now that he has Draow at his side...

He wanted, no, he needed to know, as soon as possible, just who this intruder was and what he wanted with Draow. He couldn’t help but think this was some kind of terrifying alliance. He already had an idea on what Draow would want. But, this intruder, he was an unknown variable. Without a clue on what this intruder wanted, Rudy was completely in the dark on what dangers lurked ahead.

The only way he could find out was by investigating. He had to figure out some clue on what the intruder looked like. That would be the first time to finding out how he was. If he could positively identify him, he could ask some zoners if they know anything about him, and get information. Then, once he understood what the intruder was like, he could begin to fight back. He could come up with a plan to get both him and Draow arrested and sent to jail.

Rudy wondered if anyone outside of the prison had seen something. It was hard to miss a large flying wolf bat. Surely, someone had to have seen something. Anything at all. Any tiny bit of information would help them out.

He turned to Penny and Snap. “Come on. Let’s get going. Maybe someone...”

Before the trio could get very far, Skrawl blocked their path. He had his hands on his side, balancing himself on one limb with ease. He glared down at them, his mouth contorted into a small snarl.

“Where do you think you three are going...?” He asked in a low, growly voice.

Rudy glared back at him. “Get out of the way, Skrawl! We’re going to find out about this intruder!”

Skrawl shook his head once. “No you’re not. You three are going to stay far away from this case.”

“Why?!” Snap exclaimed. He stared at Skrawl with a mixture of shock and anger. “Rudy just wants to help!”

“I am aware of that. But I will take care of it!” Skrawl said. “I already sent a couple of my best wardens to find out about this intruder. So consider the burden lifted from your shoulders, Master Tabootie. Let me handle this.” He pointed a claw at the boy. “This intruder might be more than you can handle. His venom might not be able to hurt you, but that doesn’t mean that he’s any less dangerous.”

As much as Rudy didn’t want to admit it, Skrawl had a point there. They didn’t know what they were up against. And even though the intruder’s venom wouldn’t hurt him or Penny, they still had to content with his speed and his sharp claws.

Skrawl took a step towards them. “So do yourselves a favor and stay out of this. I will do whatever I can to get Draow back to jail. You can trust me on that.”

But as much as Rudy wanted to believe him, a part of him was skeptical. He knew what Draow was like. So did his friends. Even Skrawl knew. And from what he encountered with Draow in the past, he was not the kind to give up so easily. He was tenacious and ruthless. Even when he was tired, he would still put up a fight.

And now that he is partnered up with a venomous intruder who is able to sneak around undetected...

Rudy knew there was no way they could take this lying down. As they walked out of the jail, he pondered what their next move was going to be. He didn’t care what Skrawl did to them. The jellybean wouldn’t be able to keep them from working on this case for very long. And he had a feeling Skrawl understood that as well.

“So...what now, Bucko?” Snap asked when they were out of earshot of the jail.

“I’m sure everyone is on the lookout for Draow.” Penny said. “We could ask some zoners around here. Maybe they can help.”

Rudy was about to say something when he looked at the time on his cellphone. His eyes widened. “Sorry, Penny. We’ll have to continue this investigation later. It’s almost time for our parents to get back.”

Penny looked surprised. “Already? Time really just flew.”

Rudy turned to Snap. “We’ll be back whenever we can. Inform us, when we return, if you figured out anything new, okay?”

“Okay, Rudy! Will do!” Snap said as he watched his two friends leave.


	4. Do Not Put Your Guard Down, Rudy

Rudy couldn’t shake off the feeling of disappointment as he sat in class, listening to Mr. Wilter talk about an upcoming chemistry test. When he and Penny went back into ChalkZone later that night, they were both disappointed to learn that Snap was not able to find out anymore information. They knew just as much as they did yesterday, and that wasn’t really a whole lot at all. Rudy had hoped that something new would pop up, something that would give them a clue to the identity and motives behind this mysterious zoner.

Snap had attempted to ask for more information, but he had forgotten about Skrawl, who wasn’t too far away. The jellybean was determined to keep the three of them off the case. It frustrated Rudy because he feels that they, who had dealt with Draow before, should help in finding him. He thought Skrawl would have understood that.

Or maybe he does, and just doesn’t want him involved in it. Rudy thought two things. Skrawl’s pride was hurt, which was a very real possibility as he is often arrogant in his machinery. He claims they are state of the line, and yeah, they might be, but he refuses to acknowledge any flaws in them. So Skrawl is trying to fix his hurt pride by being the one to recapture Draow.

But another possibility, and this was just as likely, at least nowadays, Skrawl doesn’t want them to get hurt. It was hard to believe, since he was so used to him causing trouble for years. And a few years ago, he wouldn’t have considered the possibility of him and Skrawl being anything close to friends. They still weren’t, at least not in the same way as Penny or Snap. But Skrawl, even if he didn’t admit it, did start to care, if even just a little, for him and his friends. He guessed being stuck in a cell for hours all by himself with no way out forced him to do a lot of thinking.

Rudy thought back to his cameras. He hadn’t thought to bring it up with Penny, and he kicked himself mentally for not doing so. But, whenver they could, he thought it would be best to head back to the prison and take a look at the cameras. He didn’t know when they could do it as Skrawl would not be pleased with them returning to the jail so soon. He’d probably have his Beanie Boys, who he had turned into policemen to capture criminals, throw them out.

But Rudy felt it would be a good place to start. This criminal was said not to have been seen on the cameras. But Skrawl claims that his cameras catch everything. What if they didn’t...? Rudy wasn’t sure why he didn’t think of it until now, but there might be a flaw in the camera that this criminal was able to take advantage of, to exploit so he could get into the jail without the cameras revealing he was there.

Obviously something had to have set off the alarm. From what he recalled, the alarm had gone off when the intruder was inside, so whatever this intruder used to get into the jail, it didn’t work on the inside. But why? What could cause a camera to detect something of the prisoner on the inside, but not on the outside? Maybe Penny would have some ideas. She had a better understanding of technology than he did. After school, he planned on talking to Penny about it.

He remembered when the whole trouble with Mr. Cosmo started. He remembered how helpless he felt, not knowing just what that man’s motivations were, and how the only person in the real world he could talk to was Penny. She was, at the time, the only person he knew that he could trust ChalkZone’s existence with.

This time, things were a little different. Penny was not the only person he could speak to now. There was also Mr. Wilter. Ever since he revealed what he had been in the past, that he knew about ChalkZone, going to that world during school was easier. He and Penny no longer needed to sneak behind the man’s back to gain entry. And Mr. Wilter would often cover for them if they were gone too long.

Rudy had plans on talking to Mr. Wilter about this as well. If there was anyone who knew Draow pretty well, it was him. He had faced off with him in the past, and he had confronted them when they did battle with Mr. Cosmo a year and a half ago.

He hoped that Mr. Wilter could provide some information, some clue, to why someone would want to free Draow, and where he could be. Draow was a tricky beast, and the sooner he was recaptured, the better. Mr. Wilter could have info they could use to achieve this. Mr. Wilter knew how dangerous Draow was, and he would definitely want him to be recaptured as soon as possible. The fact that Draow was similar to personality to Mr. Cosmo himself made the situation more dire.

Mr. Wilter would not be able to talk to Rudy just yet, though. They were still in class, and he hadn’t stopped speaking. Once in a while, Rudy would glance over at Mr. Wilter. The man seemed to catch the expression on his face and, with subtle gestures, indicated he understood something was wrong. Rudy would still have to wait, however. He didn’t know what kind of commotion there would be if Mr. Wilter suddenly talked about ChalkZone in class. Even if nobody believed him, that was something neither he nor Wilter would have wanted.

Class was almost over. In a few minutes, the bell would ring. And when it did, he and Penny would be free to speak to Mr. Wilter on the subject. At least, when everyone leaves. They couldn’t risk speaking about ChalkZone until they knew, absolutely, that no one was around to overhear their conversations. Even if no one believed them, there was still that worry that someone would believe it, and then try to get more information out of them. With all that ChalkZone almost endured with Mr. Cosmo, another incident like that was the last thing that it needed.

Rudy thought back to the poisonous...no..venomous zoner. Penny was a little adament about them using the proper terminology, stating that there was a difference between poison and venom. From what they had heard had happened, Penny determined that Skrawl had used the right term, venom, because venom, unlike poison, is delivered via a bite or sting, and, interestingly, is often safe to injest. It’s only deadly when it gets into the blood stream. Though she did not recommend going around drinking venom as small cuts in the stomach or intestines would allow the venom to seep through and spread into the bloodstream, where it would cause a lot of damage.

The venom that this zoner possessed was very lethal, at least to other zoners. Snap was not safe from the venom, and that was a great concern he and Penny shared. Since they know so little about this zoner, they don’t know if he would be the kind to just attack any zoner it so pleased. They don’t know if he won’t go after Snap or not.

Penny had been, luckily, get more information on this type of venom. Knowing as much as they could about this venom was important, especially if they were going to have to tangle with him in the future. The venom’s properties weren’t like anything they had heard of before, making Rudy even more worried of the possibility of Snap being bitten.

The venom targets the marrow in zoners’ bones. The marrow is where red blood cells are formed. It causes them to reproduce out of control, filling the target limb with an excess amount of blood, but only in that one area. The blood ends up clotting the veins and arteries and the limb rapidly swells. The clotting causes tissue to die, which was why they saw dead muscle and bone from the dead zoner’s burst arm. Penny isn’t sure how long it takes, but eventually, the skin breaks and the arm, for a lack of a better term, explodes.

When this happens, death happens swiftly. A ton of blood is lost in this process. And if the blood loss doesn’t kill, the clots that shoot up towards the brain, blocking important blood vessels in those areas, sure would.

Rudy felt cold shivers sweep through his body as he thought about this venom. He was glad that he and Penny don’t have to deal with it. But he was fearful of what would happen if any of his zoner friends were bitten. Penny was unable to find out if there was any antivenom for it, or how long someone who was bitten has before it kills them. He was very worried about Snap. He had already been through so much with Mr. Cosmo. He didn’t want him to worry about suffering another near death experience...

Suddenly, Rudy was torn from his thoughts as the familiar, loud school bell rang. It came as a surprise to him as he wasn’t paying attention to the time. He had all but forgot where he was, deep in his thoughts. So when the bell rang, it took all of his mental strength not to jump up from his seat in fright.

Although he managed to keep himself from jumping, his heart was pumping really fast, and he couldn’t stop a few shudders going through his body. He thought that they went unnoticed, but he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked back and saw Penny looking at him worriedly.

“Rudy? What’s wrong?” She asked.

Rudy smiled sheepishly and looked away. “N-Nothing. The bell just took me by surprise. That’s all.”

Penny tilted her head in confusion. “The bell always rings at this time. How could it have surprised you?”

“I wasn’t paying attention.” Rudy admitted. He was vaguely aware of the students turning to leave, and he knew, within seconds, the room would be empty, save for Mr. Wilter.

Penny decided not to question Rudy further. She simply gave him a nod of understanding before she shifted her focus onto Mr. Wilter. She then gave Rudy a sideways glance. “Let me know what Mr. Wilter says.”

In that instant, Rudy was briefly confused, then he realized something. He recalled Penny could not stay after class for that long. Her mother was taking her somewhere, and she had to leave the school right away. She had apologized for it in advance, and he understood. It wasn’t her fault, really, and it wasn’t like her mom even knew there was anything important going on that would require Penny having to stay behind.

Things might be a little easier if they just told their parents the truth. But that might create brand new problems. They have no idea how either of their parents would react to the knowledge of their children going into some strange world where they have the chance of facing danger. They don’t know how they’d react when they find out that, sometimes, that danger almost has them killed. He’d hate to think what his parents would do if they found out about what Mr. Cosmo really had done.

Rudy knew it was too much of a risk of letting their parents know the truth. Yet he couldn’t help but wonder...just how long could it stay a secret? He had managed for the past eight and a half years keeping ChalkZone a secret from most people. But how long could he keep it up?

He already had some incidents where he almost exposed ChalkZone by accident. All it would take is one screw up and it would all be over. He bit his lip as he thought about the possible consequences of his parents, or Penny’s, finding out about ChalkZone...

“Rudy Tabootie.”

Again, he was broken away from his thoughts, but htis time, it was not from the bell, but from Mr. Wilter. Penny whispered goodbye to Rudy before she headed out to greet her mother, leaving Rudy alone with the teacher.

It still, sometimes, felt awkward talking to Mr. Wilter. He was so used to having to hide ChalkZone from him that, even after a year and a half, it was sometimes still hard bringing up the topic with him. He had to constantly remind himself that his teacher was an ally, not an enemy or unknown factor. He had to keep telling himself he could trust Mr. Wilter on the topic of ChalkZone.

Mr. Wilter walked up to Rudy’s desk. His eyes were narrowed, but not from anger. It was from concern. “What’s wrong? You look like you wanted to talk to me about something.”

Rudy nodded his head. It took a few seconds, but he managed to get himself to speak. “Yeah I do. Something...happened in ChalkZone.”

Mr. Wilter cocked an eyebrow. “Oh? Is it bad?”

“Yeah you could say that again.” Rudy said softly. He looked at Mr. Wilter for a few seconds, before he turned his gaze towards his desk. “Someone broke Draow out of prison...”

At this, Mr. Wilter’s eyes went wide. Rudy swore that he lost several shades of color. Mr. Wilter remained frozen there for what seemed like several minutes. When he spoke, his voice was hushed and shaky.

“A-Are you..certain?” He asked, his voice having a tinge of hope in it. Hope that Rudy was wrong about what he said.

Rudy nodded his head numbly. “Yeah. Penny, Snap, and I were in ChalkZone the other day, and we overheard some zoners talking about how some intruder broke Draow out of prison. We went there, and we learned that the intruder was venomous and somehow avoided the cameras.” Rudy paused for a moment, letting Mr. WIlter take all of this information in. “We haven’t been able to find out much. Nobody knows who or what this intruder is, nor what he wants with Draow.”

Mr. Wilter remained quiet. He was in a state of shock. Rudy couldn’t blame him. He knew just how dangerous Draow was. His freedom could only spell trouble for the rest of ChalkZone.

Rudy wished he could tell the teacher more. He wished he knew more about what was going on. Being left in the dark was terrifying. Not knowing really was scarier than knowing. He didn’t know where this zoner was, or where Draow went or even if Draow is still with this mystery zoner. He doesn’t know if Draow isn’t on his way to Snap’s right now to kill him. He doesn’t know what kind of plans this mystery zoner has.

And given with what happened with Mr. Cosmo, not knowing was not something they could afford...

Mr. Wilter finally spoke after a long, uncomfortable silence.

“I...don’t think it’s Draow we should be concerned about.” He said. Rudy’s eyes widened and he looked at Mr. Wilter like he had gone insane. “I know what you’re thinking. Yes, I am well aware of the threat Draow poses. I faced him before. However...” He paused, his eyebrows furrowed as he tried to think of how to continue. “Draow isn’t as much of a planner as Mr. Cosmo was.”

“But with him loose, he could try...” Rudy started to say.

Mr. Wilter held up a hand to quiet him, shaking his head. “Draow is capable of some planning, but not to the same degree as his creator. Draow has always been a follower-type. If he tried anything on his own, it would be apparent. You would see clear signs. The only time he is going to do something sneaky and efficiently, such as kidnap your friend Snap, is if someone else is behind the wheel, so to speak.”

“Someone else? Like Mr. Cosmo?” Rudy asked.

“Yes.” Mr. Wilter replied. “Draow functions at his best when someone else is doing all or most of the planning. He can do things on his own, such as when he used the glass to get closer to you and Skrawl. But that is about how brilliant he gets when he’s acting entirely on his own.” Mr. Wilter narrowed his eyes slowly. “No, the one you should be most concerned about is this mystery zoner. Whoever broke him out, the reasons can’t possibly be good. Draow is too dangerous for just anyone to work with.”

“Yeah...he’s too volatile.” Rudy said. He remembered his first encounter with Draow and how, even when he didn’t realize how big of a threat he was, terrifying and vicious he was. And that was just a taste of what he’d experience later on. “The only one who could control him was Mr. Cosmo.”

“And Mr. Cosmo was worse than Draow. He orchestrated all those terrible things you and your friends had to endure.” Mr. Wilter said. “Given this information, it is safe to assume that this zoner has to be more dangeorus than Draow in order for him to listen to him.”

Rudy let this information sink in. The intruder already sounded dangerous to start with. But the idea of him being more dangerous than Draow, at least in terms of personality, was frightening. Draow himself was scary. Even though the knowledge of Draow not being very subtle on his own did bring some comfort, it wasn’t enough to shake off the feeling of dread welling up inside of him.

Now, more than ever, he had to find out about this intruder. What were his plans with Draow? Was he more dangerous than Mr. Cosmo? Where was he going to strike first? These questions and more flooded Rudy’s mind.

“Don’t get me wrong. Draow is still dangerous even without a leader. He could still cause a lot of harm to unsuspecting zoners. You should still keep an eye out for him. It is imperative that he get recaught as soon as possible.” Mr. Wilter said in a serious tone. “However, priority should go to discovering more about the intruder, who he was. Finding out what his motives are will tell you everything you need to know about what Draow is going to do. If this zoner wants to flood ChalkZone, you can bet Draow will be the one to turn on the valve. If the zoner wishes to destroy important buildings, you can be certain that Draow will be the one doing the dirty work.”

This dire warning made Rudy even more anxious than before. Mr. Wilter really drove home the point there. Where and what they’d find Draow doing would indeed highly depend on what this mystery zoner wants. And if they didn’t find out soon, so many zoners could end up getting badly hurt...

“Draow isn’t stupid by any means, Rudy.” Mr. Wilter added. “He seeks opportunity. And if he has found someone to lead him who has plans that would benefit him in some way, he would jump on it.”

Rudy’s immediate thought was revenge. Draow would have surely remembered his creator’s defeat. He was certain the bat wolf held a grudge against all of them for what happened. This did provide some clue as to what this mystery zoner might want. If Draow willingly involved himself with him, then whatever the intruder wanted...

...it had to do with him and his friends... His eyes widened in horror as the realization sunk in.

Mr. Wilter said what Rudy’s mind was echoing. “Stay on your guard, Rudy.”


	5. Lying In Wait

The Mumbo Jumbo Jungle is a large and dangerous section of ChalkZone. It is frought with hidden dangers and anyone daring enough to go in there had better be prepared. Some of ChalkZone’s most dangerous wild creatures lurk there, ready to strike unsuspecting visitors. Creators like Rudy are better armed against it, but even he must be careful when traveling through here.

In a deep part of the jungle, a tall cave structure jetted out of the ground. It was covered in moss and vines. The entrance was completely covered and looked quite solid. Only when a breeze pushed against the moss and vines was it exposed that the entrance hadn’t been blocked and was, in fact, hollow.

The rock structure itself looked almost like the head of a rhino. The angular sides looked very sharp and the spike in the front appeared to be broken, as if some kind of poacher mistook it for a real rhino. Most creatures who walked by here paid no mind to this. A few were intimidated, especially when it almost appeared as though the ‘eyes’ were glowing.

Inside the structure, it was very dark. There was little light to be found. Just a few faint candles on the wall, mounted there via thick nails. Not an efficient way of doing it, but it still worked. There were a few tunnels, but the inside did not look it went very far in. The walls were curved, giving what might be the entrance room a very rounded look.

The place appeared pretty empty. Outside the candles, there was no other source of life, at least not in the initial room. Down one of the tunnels was another room, a bit bigger. This room had all sorts of equipment in it. At a glance, it would be hard to tell what these things would be for. Saws, nails, metal pipes, hammers, all sorts of tools and materials laid scattered on the ground in a big pile. The smell of metal hung heavily in the air.

In this room, there was a bigger source of light. It wasn’t much. But on one of the walls, there was a small opening. Anyone who looked through the hole could see the jungle outside. A river flowed behind it, not too far off in the distance. Sunlight shown through the hole, illuminating a small part of the interior of the cave.

A shadow appeared on the wall. It covered up the light source for only a brief second. Then the shadow shifted across the rocky surface, cascading further along the walls. It slowly shrank, and what was once a line of darkness now had a more definite shape. As the howl of an outside animal zoner sounded out, two triangles, clearly ears, swiveled and shifted at the sound. A low growl filled the room.

The light’s shining bounced off the form that was creating the shadow, exposing light brown fur, ruffled up and looking almost like spikes. The face, clearly wolf-like, was partially light. But most of it was in shadow. This, combined with the piercing teal eyes, made the individual a very menacing sight to behold. The muzzle contorted into a snarl, pink gums exposed along with razor sharp teeth.

It was Draow. He stood, his wings folded at his sides, as he stared out the ‘window’, his pupils shrinking as his thoughts were filled with the memories of what happened over a year ago. Rage filled almost every crevice of his mind as he remembered what had happened.

His master, his comrade, Mr. Cosmo...He had been so close to achieving his goals. He was very close to finally conquering ChalkZone. They would have had it all. He would have been second-in-command. He would have won. He should have won. Everything had been planned out meticulously, perfectly. Mr. Cosmo had been prepared for almost everything imaginable. He should have been able to succeed...

But those brats...They ruined everything. And that darn woman. Draow knew she couldn’t have been trusted. He knew that Mr. Cosmo should have gotten rid of her much sooner. Ms. Saffron’s interference put a kink in his master’s plans. If she had been killed sooner...

And he did not forget what Rudy and his friends did. Penny helped snap Rudy out of his corruption, and he and his master lost a valuable ally. Snap sliced Mr. Cosmo’s eye, which interfered with the fight. If that hadn’t happened, Mr. Cosmo would have had an edge over Rudy.

And Rudy...

He killed his master.

Draow’s mind burned as he remembered what happened. It was in the newspapers as well as on the news. Rudy had killed Mr. Cosmo, and hailed as a hero. Draow snarled at the memory. That boy would pay for what he did. So will his friends. He would make sure of that.

Draow lifted up his head as a scent filled the air. He swiveled his muzzle towards the source. He knew who was coming in.

It was the intruder that had saved him from that wretched jail. The intruder promised to deliver to him what he wanted if he decided to help him. Draow agreed, but only because he got something out of it. He knows that he, himself, is not an excellent planner. He would simply just rush out and kill Rudy, Penny, and Snap, without a care of who sees. So long as he gets his revenge, he’s happy.

But working with this intruder may be more beneficial. He reminds him of Mr. Cosmo in many ways, and he could smell just how dangerous he was. The venom gave off a strong scent. Draow knew he wouldn’t be able to fight the intruder on his own. It would be suicide. But working with him... He smiled evilly as he thought of this intruder biting and injecting Snap with venom. Oh yes, that would be a beautiful sight to witness...

The intruder hadn’t revealed too much of his plans. He had confirmed that it will, in some way, involve the three brats that took down his master. Yet he wouldn’t say exactly what he had in mind. And all these tools, they suggested he planned on building something. Judging from how much material there was, it was a lot of stuff. Just what did he have in mind? And how long was this intruder going to keep him in the dark for?

The intruder entered the room. The darkness made it hard to see his form. The intruder did not walk in very far, keeping most of his body in shadow. Draow could make out the bright, piercing green eyes barely glinting in the light. A tail was swishing back and forth. A muzzle with lips curled back into an evil grin, the long venom fangs exposed.

“Just as I hoped...” The intruder said. His voice sounded pleasant, almost like Mr. Cosmo’s except this voice was devoid of any malice. The intruder hid this part of him well, it seems. “Your escape from jail has caught the attention of those three. They will surely be trying to figure out about how you got out of there.”

Draow turned around and began to walk towards the intruder. His eyes narrowed into slits. “You still haven’t told me more of this plan of yours...” He paused for a moment. Now he thought of it, there was a lot this intruder didn’t tell him, including... “I don’t even know who you are.”

The intruder blinked once. The smile vanished, replaced with a confused expression. Then the intruder laughed half-heartedly, his green eyes almost brightening. “Oh...silly me, I must have forgotten! My name is Bardot.”

Draow said, “Bardot, eh?”

Bardot nodded his head once. “Yes.”

Well that got one question out of the way. Draow thought he recognized the name Bardot, but he couldn’t remember where he heard it from. The name did ring a bell, but he felt frustrated that he couldn’t remember anything about it, other than it was tugging at the back of his mind. There was something he should remember about this zoner.

Well, he will worry about it later. Bardot was offering him a chance at revenge against the three that defeated Mr. Cosmo. Draow planned on carrying on his master’s plans after that, forcing Rudy into it. He planned on breaking the boy, just like how his master broke Snap. And once the boy’s spirit was shattered, he would force him to do what he says.

Draow didn’t plan on killing him and his friends right away. No, he wants them all to suffer for as long as possible. He would keep them alive and torment them. He’d break all of them to teach them a lesson about crossing paths with his master. And by the end of it all, they will be begging him to kill them... He only would kill them once he has had his fun with them.

Draow finally spoke after a while of silence. “You said this plan would involve those three brats... But you did not tell me exactly what you had in mind.”

Bardot nodded his head. “Yes, I understand you must be frustrated.”

“Especially since we haven’t made a move yet.” Draow growled softly, folding his ears back against his skull. “We’ve been hiding for two days now. When are we going to strike?”

“Patience, Draow...patience.” Bardot said, raising a hand, the sharp claws glinting in the light. “We cannot move yet. Everything must be set up first. If we act too soon, everything will fall apart. We must let those three play right into our hands. I will tell you when you can move in. If we play our cards right, not only will we have them at our mercy, but they will not have any magic chalk to help them this time....”

Draow watched as Bardot’s evil smile returned. Liquid dripped from his jaws. It hit the ground, and he saw a bit of steam rising above it. The venom was more potent than he had imagined. This made him more excited than ever to watch Snap suffer at the fate of the venom.

And the two humans...if Bardot lived up to his promise, and if he gets a chance to, he would make sure that Rudy and Penny regret ever being born....

Draow chuckled evilly, his teal eyes shining at the prospect of what was to come. He was starting to really like this guy. Ruthless. Merciless. So much like Mr. Cosmo... He took a step towards Bardot, unfurling his wings slightly.

“When...do we begin..?” Draow asked.

Bardot simply stared at at the winged wolf for a few seconds. At first, his expression was blank. Then, slowly, a sly grin plastered over his muzzle. The dark shadows on his face seemed to almost intensify, making him look even more frightening than before.

“Soon, Draow...” Bardot replied, chuckling darkly. “Very soon...”

sss

“Whoa whoa! Slow down, Bucko!” Snap cried, waving his hands in the air as he walked alongside Rudy and Penny. “Are you saying that this intruder wants something with us?”

Rudy nodded his head solemnly. He recalled his chat with Mr. Wilter all too clearly. The signs, they all still pointed in this direction, and it scared him. “Yeah, Snap. Mr. Wilter said that Draow would only work with this guy if his plans benefited him.”

“But that doesn’t mean it automatically involves us.” Snap said.

“Snap is right, Rudy. Yeah, Draow would want to come after us, but I don’t think we should jump to conclusions just yet.” Penny said. Rudy looked at her, confused. “I’m not saying that it is impossible this intruder wants us. What I’m saying is we should look for clues and information about this guy and try to figure out what his real motivations are. If we prepare for the wrong thing...”

Rudy nodded his head. “Yeah, I know.”

He remembered when Mr. Cosmo tricked him into going to ChalkZone. He had been so certain that Mr. Cosmo was going to come in with some FBI agents and force him to speak. It was the only conclusion his mind would jump to. And so he left. He thought he had done the right thing to help ChalkZone...but instead, he just fell into that evil man’s little trap. He had been played for a fool.

He knew he couldn’t afford to make that same mistake here. Even though he was still worried that this intruder wanted something with him and his friends, he knew Penny and Snap were right. He shouldn’t jump to conclusions too quickly without much evidence. They knew so little about this intruder or what he wanted. And the things they knew about him were useless in determining his motivations.

Finding out more information was not going to be easy. Skrawl would keep them away from the case the best he could, so they had to be on their toes. Skrawl wouldn’t arrest them, but he would make things difficult for them. And he was quite stubborn, too. Even though he had changed for the better, bits of his old personality remained in tact, and that was a bit of annoyance to him during times like these.

Penny spoke up, breaking Rudy out of his thoughts.

“I think checking the cameras was a good idea, Rudy. Skrawl is so prideful of them, I doubt he would have checked them thoroughly.” Penny said. “We could get a hold of one and look for any signs of weakness. Something the intruder could have exploited to get past it.”

Rudy shook his head. “The only problem is Skrawl is the only one with these types of cameras. And they are all in that jail. We wouldn’t be able to check them efficiently, not with Skrawl around.”

“Well then, we can check when Skrawl is on his break.” Snap suggested. “He usually takes one around noon, where he goes back to his place to relax for about an hour. That would give us some time.”

Rudy looked at Snap. “And what of the other guards? Skrawl would probably tell them to keep us out.”

Snap waved a dismissing hand, smiling. “Oh don’t worry about them! They would be more willing to accept the Great Creator’s help! And besides..” Snap moved his hand in front of his head as if he were whispering some deep dark secret. “..they don’t like Skrawl very much, so any chance to defy him would make them happy.”

Snap did have a point. Rudy wasn’t at all surprised the guards didn’t like Skrawl. He still had that attitude of his, and he was sometimes pretty hostile towards them. He never did any physical harm, but he was intimidating towards them, perhaps as a way of keeping them all in line. Snap could be right and the guards themselves would be more cooperative than Skrawl.

Then again, there was still the chance that they would still stop him. Skrawl could have them so under control that, even though they don’t like him, they would still fulfill his wishes. Attempting to look at the cameras might not do them any good, at least not until they could figure out how to get to them without being seen. But how would they do that? It wasn’t like the jail took any time off. It was open twenty-four hours, seven days a week, and the cameras were running that whole time.

No, they needed another course of action to take first. The cameras would have to wait, at least for a time. They needed to go an easier route, something simple. Asking zoners may be their best bet at this point. Someone could have seen something. Draow was large. Surely someone spotted him. Even if it was just a brief glance, an idea on where he want would be crucial.

They find Draow, and they find this intruder...

“There is a thought I had, Rudy.” Penny said, snapping Rudy to attention. He looked at her expectantly. The three of them stopped, and Penny started to explain her idea. “There is...one way I can think of the intruder got passed the cameras outside, but not the ones on the inside. It’s...tricky. But if this intruder was as fast as the guards say he was, then I don’t doubt he could have pulled this off.”

“Turned the cameras off?” Snap asked.

Penny shook her head. “That would have alerted the guards. No, he did something else that covered his tracks, but kept himself from being discovered.”

A moment of silence, and Rudy said, “Well? What is it?”

“He could have covered the cameras with photographs.” Penny said. “If he was fast enough, and I don’t doubt he was, if the guards couldn’t even get a good look at him, then he could have somehow obtained photos of the area and placed them at just the right spot. He clearly had claws if he was able to tear that guy’s throw out.” She shuddered at the thought. “So he could have used his claws to scale the building and stay out of sight of the cameras. Then he could have placed pictures in front, taken in such a way that it looks like the camera is still recording what is going on outside the building.”

She paused, letting Rudy and Snap take this information in. Their eyes were wide with shock.

“With the cameras blocked this way, it would explain why, even if the intruder walked right in front of one, they didn’t detect him. This would also explain why, as soon as the intruder get in, the alarms went off. He didn’t have time to cover up those cameras, prompting him to attack swiftly.” Penny said. An anxious look was on her face. “That would surely explain why the guards didn’t see anything on the outside, no matter how hard they looked at the cameras.”

Rudy shuddered at this. The idea that the intruder was so fast and so smart that it could pull something off like this... He was truly going to be one nasty bad guy to deal with. It made him all the more worried about what he wanted. Would he even be able to find out in time? If this intruder was so intelligent, then what would happen if he found out too late, and he wasn’t able to do anything to stop him?

He glanced down at Snap. He looked just as horrified. He couldn’t blame him. This guy was starting to sound a little too much like Mr. Cosmo. That man had been a great planner, so precise. It took all they had to defeat him. To think they may have to deal with someone else like this...

A horrible thought entered Rudy’s mind. His face paled thinking about it. He didn’t want to think it could be true. He hoped that he was mistaken. But he couldn’t deny that it was a very real, terrifying possibility.

“Rudy?” Penny asked worriedly. “What’s wrong?”

“I just...thought of something...” Rudy said, his eyes wide with fear. He looked at his friends, who stared at him, waiting for him to say something. “What if this intruder...is one of Cosmo’s creations..?”

He had never seen color drain so fast from his two friends before.


	6. A Dangerous Combination

Penny couldn’t believe she hadn’t thought of it before. Why hadn’t she thought to find out if this intruder was one of Cosmo’s drawings? It would explain why he would go through all that trouble to free Draow. Same creator and all. And this drawing clearly had the same viciousness Cosmo displayed. And he had clearly thought things through with that escape, much like Mr. Cosmo and his well thought out plans.

The idea sent shivers down her spine, and she didn’t doubt that Rudy and Snap felt the same way. It was bad enough with Draow. The vicious bat wolf caused them enough problems. The last thing they needed was another vicious Cosmo drawing to worry about. It didn’t help that, even if they were correct about him being Cosmo’s, that still didn’t answer their question on what he was after. Revenge was a possibility, but they didn’t know for certain if that is what this intruder was planning.

They had to figure out, for certain, if this intruder was one of Cosmo’s. The best place she could think of to look was going to the Chalk Mine and talking to Biclops. He would probably recognize this intruder if they tell him the very little information that they know. It wasn’t much, but Biclops might be able to work with it. He had wrangled with Cosmo’s creations before. So surely, he’d be able to tell them more about this intruder...provided he turned out to be one of Cosmo’s that is. There was still that chance that he wasn’t connected to Cosmo in anyway.

And if that were the case, they’d be back to square one. As much as it frightens her that the intruder is Cosmo’s, she kinda hoped that it turned out to be the case. Because that means they would be a step closer to being able to deal with this intruder. They would have a better idea on what the intruder might want. It wouldn’t tell them exactly, but knowing the intruder’s identity was crucial in stopping whatever he and Draow were up to.

She was worried that Rudy might have been right. Maybe this intruder, regardless if he’s connected to Mr. Cosmo, did want something with them. Draow must be furious with his master’s defeat. He had been locked up because of them, and it’s been over a year. Draow might still hold a grudge, and might only be willing to work with the intruder if he had a chance at vengeance.

That did mean they would have to be careful. They had no idea where Draow or this intruder was. And so far, there hasn’t been any word from anyone on where they could have gone. Since they could be anywhere, Penny believed it would be safe to stay on their guard. Rudy and Snap surely wouldn’t disagree with her on that. If they were a part of this plan, they would have to be prepared. They wouldn’t know when or where they would strike. If there was one thing Penny was going to make sure to do, it is to avoid walking right into their plans, like how she and Rudy did with Mr. Cosmo.

Although she had told Rudy that they shouldn’t jump to conclusions about this intruder wanting something with them, she would be lying if she said she wasn’t concerned about that herself. True, there was the chance that the intruder wasn’t going to specifically target them. But why take the chance? Draow was involved with this guy, and if there was one thing she was certain of, Draow would want to come after them. Maybe not now. Maybe not tomorrow. But she was certain that he would come after them at some point. And even if he didn’t, they would still eventually cross paths with him, somehow, someway.

And this time, they wouldn’t have Tsere to help them. Draow’s attack over a year ago had done a lot more damage than previously thought. His wing was so badly damaged he wasn’t able to fly anymore. Tsere hadn’t been able to use his wing since the attack, his wing membrane torn to shreds. Rudy wanted to help Tsere, but by the time he had gotten word, Tsere was relocated to some rehab place in ChalkZone where he could being a long recovery. It was already paid for, so Tsere chose to stay rather than let Rudy help him.

It wasn’t out of any disrespect towards Rudy. Tsere just thought it wouldn’t be fair for his stay at the rehab to be paid for and him not using it. Though his membrane mostly healed up, he still couldn’t fly. The wing was a little weak from underuse and his new membrane was too thin for rigorous flying. The doctors there say he may not regain full use of his wing until another year at least.

They would be at a disadvantage without Tsere. He was the one zoner they knew who could not only take on Draow, but was also on the same level as him. Draow could fly and so could Tsere. The two were evenly matched. Without him, Draow had the advantage of sky. Though Rudy could easily draw them something they could fly with, that didn’t mean they’d get an edge over Draow. And there was that chance that Draow could catch them offguard, when there was little to no magic chalk for them to use.

The thought of having no magic chalk also frightened Penny. That was the advantage of being human in ChalkZone. Using the magic chalk to create anything they could ever want or need. There were still times when, even with the magic chalk, they’d still be struggling. But even so, facing danger in ChalkZone was made a little easier with the fact that she and Rudy could use magic chalk to draw things into existence.

But without it...she and Rudy would be just as vulnerable as any zoner. They would still have some advantages, such as the venom from the intruder not effecting them, since it would just chalk, but they would still be in a lot of danger. Going up against Draow without chalk would be suicide. He was so much larger than them and his jaws could crush bone. They wouldn’t stand much of a chance against him. Snap would be in the biggest trouble as he was the smallest of the three.

The very idea of having to face Draow and this intruder without magic chalk was a frightening thing. She recalled how helpless Rudy feels when he isn’t able to use his magic chalk to help him and others against a foe or some sort of danger. One moment in particular she remembers is when she had acted like she betrayed Rudy and joined Skrawl, back when he was still evil. She had defeated Rudy not by shere force. No, she did so...by making him use up the last bit of his chalk.

And when he had lost all of the chalk, he didn’t look like he had any fight left in him. Part of it, she knew it was because they were friends and he didn’t have the heart to fight against her. But she also knew there was another reason. It was because he was chalkless and defenseless. She remembered vividly how he looked at her in fear and sadness, and backed away when she got close. Even going as far as putting his hands in front of him in self defense.... She hardly ever sees him do that, and he did it because he knew he was at such a disadvantage.

Penny knew all too well what it was like to feel defenseless in ChalkZone. She rarely ever used the magic chalk. And Rudy is almost always the one to have it. So if she got separated from him, she’d be left to her own defenses. If a large and aggressive zoner were to show up, she would be incapable of fighting back efficiently.

It wasn’t impossible, sure, but still, having no magic chalk would create a lot of problems for them. It would leave them weak against Draow and this mysterious intruder. They could be captured and locked up some place where no one will find them. And who knows what would happen after that.

Penny then had a horrible thought, her mind flashing back to the intruder. Skrawl’s comment on the venom...he had only been partially right...

It was true that the venom’s effects wouldn’t hurt them. What happened to the guy’s arm wouldn’t happen to them. But..that didn’t mean the venom couldn’t hurt them still in someway... She hadn’t thought about it until now, but there were other factors to consider with this venom.

The first thing she recalled learning was its heat. This venom was very hot, which explained part of the damage done to that zoner’s arm. The venom was practically at a boiling level, and stored in a special pouch in this intruder’s mouth so he wouldn’t get hurt himself. The effects of the venom wouldn’t do anything to them, but the heat sure would. Having that stuff injected into them might not kill them, but it would leave a lot of internal burns.

And it wasn’t just the burns they had to worry about...

Having chalk inserted into their bodies would not have pleasant results either. Yes, the chalk would dissolve, but it wouldn’t disappear. The chalk would mix in with their blood, and it could potentially interfere with getting nutrients taken to where they need to go. It could also potentially lower oxygen levels in their bloodstream. This would result in them getting tired and their brain slowly starved of oxygen.

So Skrawl was partially wrong. They may not have to worry about their limbs bursting off, but she and Rudy still had to fear the venom. They weren’t completely safe from it. Both of them could be weakened by it. And if they were weakened by it, what chance did they stand against him and Draow then?

And then there was Snap. He was a zoner, so he would get the full effects of the venom. And since there was no known antidote for it, if Snap got bitten... She felt her heart clench as she imagined the results. Snap was so much smaller than that guard... He would get a far worse reaction. There would be a lot more damage done before he was violently killed... She and Rudy would both have to make sure Snap is safe from this intruder’s venom.

Perhaps if she did some more research, she could find some kind of antivenom. There was so little known about this venom, but a little reading wouldn’t hurt. Maybe someone, somewhere, had written something about it. Or if she could get a sample of the venom, maybe she could analyze it and come up with an antivenom. It would be difficult to do, especially since it wasn’t in her field, but for Snap’s safety and the safety of the other zoners, she felt it was worth the hard work.

Penny was taken out of her thoughts when she heard the sound of Biclops singing. She, Rudy, and Snap stopped in their tracks. They stood not far from the river that curved around the Magic Chalk Mine. Up ahead, they could see a shadow forming on the ground. It was so large they knew it could only be one zoner. And that was Biclops.

Seconds later, they could see Biclops coming out of the Chalk Mine, carrying some pieces of rotting chalk in a wheelbarrow. He pushed it along the side of the river, whistling to himself. He hadn’t noticed them as he started walking in their direction.

Seeing the Chalk Mine reminded Penny of all the damage that was done to it with the real world water. Rudy had been able to repair the damage, though it took a while. A lot of the normal white chalk was destroyed, but Biclops informed them the numbers would increase with time. After the damage on the grounds and walls were repaired, Biclops went to clean up the remaining mess and to gather all broke pieces of chalk that remained in tact and gave them to Rudy.

Rudy was the first one to speak.

“Hey! Biclops!”

To get his attention, Rudy waved his arms back and forth. Biclops took notice of them and stopped the wheelbarrow. He set it down and took a few steps towards the teenagers.

“Rudy Tabootie? What are you doing here?” Biclops asked. “Do you need some more magic chalk? I’m doing some spring cleaning right now, but you...”

Rudy shook his head. “No. We came to talk to you about something.”

Biclops said, “Oh? Well can’t it wait? I’m a little busy right now.”

“It’s...urgent.” Rudy said, putting emphasis on the word ‘urgent’.

Biclops’s eyes went a little wide. Penny had a feeling he was thinking of the last time they spoke to him about something serious. Biclops had been utterly horrified when he heard the name Mr. Cosmo. She wouldn’t be surprised if he was worried that they were going to say he somehow came back from the dead or something.

“How urgent?” Biclops asked hesitantly.

“Have you heard of what happened?” Rudy asked. When the giant didn’t answer, he continued. “Someone broke Draow out of prison.”

At this, Biclops gasped and took a step back. His eyes grew large. He shook his head in disbelief. “What? No, I haven’t heard... How...long ago was this?”

Penny said, “Very recent. There was an attack on the jail he was contained in, and the intruder specifically broke him out. He didn’t bother with the other criminals. He only wanted Draow.”

It was clear Biclops understood how serious this was. He knew Draow longer than they have. He was there when he was created. He was there, witnessing all the damage the bat wolf caused years ago, before they were even born. And he, himself, had fought against Draow before. He knows how vicious and vile he can be.

“Do you know who did it?” Biclops asked.

Rudy shook his head regretfully. “I’m sorry, Biclops. We don’t have any idea who might have done it. Or even for what reason.”

“I mean, we have ideas...but without knowing who this intruder is, we’re left in the dark.” Penny said. “Nobody even knows where they went. They hadn’t been spotted since the breakout.”

Snap nodded his head. “Yeah, we were hoping you might be able to shed some light on this.”

Biclops tilted his head in confusion. “Me? What can I do to help?”

“Can you tell us if you know of any Cosmo’s creations that would be very smart and fast who might be capable of bypassing security? And happens to possess a very potent venom?” Rudy asked, taking a step towards the giant.

Biclops remained quiet for a few seconds. He stared at Rudy, Penny, and Snap. Penny wasn’t sure why he was taking so long to respond. Was it because of the shock that Draow was out? Was he trying to remember if he knew of any zoners like that? Was he upset by something they had said?

Soon, the giant did speak, but it wasn’t the answer they had been hoping for.

“No, I don’t. Not off the top of my head.” Biclops said, pointing at his head to emphasize. “And I don’t think this intruder is one of Mr. Cosmo’s creations.”

Rudy, Penny, and Snap were in shock. Well a mixture of shock and relief. It was a relief knowing that they might not be dealing with another of Cosmo’s monstrosities. But it was still a shock because that meant that they were no closer to learning who this intruder was. It meant they really were back to square one, where they started.

Penny said, “Are you...absolutely sure?”

Biclops nodded his head once. “I am very certain. After Mr. Cosmo’s defeat, I went all across ChalkZone to locate his drawings. It took me a while, but I rounded them all up. I didn’t miss any, far as I know.” He paused for a moment, then said, “And even if I did miss any, Mr. Cosmo had never created a speedy, venomous creature before. I don’t think it was his style. Most of the stuff he created was weaponry, particularly cannons. I don’t know if a venomous zoner would be something he would want to make.”

“I’m not so sure about that.” Penny protested. “He was an awful person. A venomous beast would be something he’d create, I would think, just to prolong suffering. I figured some things about this venom, and it does sound like something he would use.”

Biclops shook his head. “While you could be correct, Penny Sanchez, and Mr. Cosmo might have taken interest in a venomous zoner. But I searched all over ChalkZone and never found any of his creations that fit that description. And he has been dead for over a year now. Unless he crawled out of his grave, there’s no chance that any new Cosmo drawings could show up.”

There was a moment of silence as the trio let this sink in.

“Well that is a relief.” Snap said. “I don’t know if I want to meet any other...creation...Cosmo would have come up with.” He visibly shuddered, his mind obviously on Draow.

“But we’re still no step closer into figuring out who this guy is.” Rudy said. He sounded disappointed. “I...thought I had something...”

Penny understood how he was feeling. She was disappointed, too. It meant that they had gotten no step closer to finding out who the intruder is. If he wasn’t a creation of Mr. Cosmo, why had he gone out of his way to break Draow out? Why would he possibly be interested in going after them? If he wasn’t one of Cosmo’s works, then they had no idea why they could be targeted, or why the intruder would risk working with Draow to achieve this. They were no closer to figuring out what this guy goal was.

If they didn’t know what his goal was, it would be harder to stop him. They were stuck with no leads. No clues as to what might happen. All they know is that some dangerous intruder freed a dangerous criminal for an unknown purpose. They wouldn’t know where they’d strike next. They had no clue which way they went. Any zoner that was questioned so far by Skrawl’s police force haven’t seen anything useful. It was like the intruder, or Draow, knew which path to take to avoid detection.

“Well now what?” Snap asked.

“Well I guess we’ll have to do some questioning of our own.” Rudy said.

Penny had some doubts about that. “But, Rudy. Skrawl and his men have already tried asking some zoners. Nobody saw anything. And they asked so many... What makes you think that we can get different answers?”

Rudy turned to her. “Because we’ll ask zoners in areas Skrawl hasn’t searched yet. Further away from the crime scene. Maybe someone in these parts had seen Draow.”

Rudy did have a good point. Skrawl had only been asking around in areas close to the jail. He hadn’t thought to spread out more. She guessed he just wanted to be as thorough as possible. He wouldn’t branch out until he asked every single zoner in the immediate vicinity.

Maybe they could have better luck than him if they asked zoners outside the areas Skrawl had already searched. If someone knew something, anything, even something very small, it could help them. She just had to remember that they still had to be careful with Skrawl. He wouldn’t be happy if he found out they were meddling in his case. She wished he would be more cooperative. Oh well, typical Skrawl. Even as a good guy, he was hard to work with.

“Come on, let’s go.” Rudy said, ushering Penny and Snap to follow him. He waved to Biclops. “Thanks anyway, Biclops!”

The trio started to walk away. They didn’t get too far when they heard the giant rushing towards them.

“Wait!”

Rudy, Penny, and Snap stopped and turned around. Biclops came to a stop a few feet away from them. They wondered what he was going to say. And judging from the look on his face, there was a bit of an alarm to it. Whatever he had to say, it must be important.

“I just remembered something!” Biclops said, raising his hands up in the air. “Before Mr. Wilter stepped up, Mr. Cosmo had talked about creating a hybrid zoner.”

“A hybrid zoner?” Rudy asked, his eyes widening.

Biclops replied, “Yeah! He never got the chance...or so I thought. I never came across any such hybrid, and I don’t know if Cosmo was the only corrupted artist who thought of the idea.”

“What’s a hybrid zoner?” Penny asked. She had never heard of the term before.

“You see, Mr. Cosmo knew of the instability of red chalk. Although he created it, he hadn’t been able to figure out a way to ensure the red chalk doesn’t turn against its user. It was too wild. He needed a way to keep it calm, more obedient. So he had thought of combining it with white chalk, giving it a higher level of intellect and sentience like any white chalk creation, but it would also keep the same ferocity that red chalk creations have. It would be a dangerous combination.”

Rudy gasped and took a step back. Snap’s eyes widened. Penny put a hand to her mouth in horror.

“So what you’re saying is...” Rudy started to say. He wanted to continue, but he couldn’t bring himself to continue more.

“That maybe you guys are right and it is one of Cosmo’s creations. But it could be a creation I had not seen him complete. Or maybe someone else completed it for him, maybe another corrupted artist. This zoner could be a fusion of white and red chalk. And if that’s the case..” Biclops paused, biting his lip for a second. “You’ll be dealing with a red chalk drawing that will be more cunning than any other red chalk creation you faced in the past.”

Penny’s eyes grew large at this. She felt her heart start to pound. A red chalk drawing with the control and sentience of white chalk? That was worse than she and her friends could have imagined. They never knew hybrid drawings were possible, and if that is what is running loose in ChalkZone...

She cast a worried glance at her friends. They looked her, their expressions anxious. They all knew how dangerous red chalk was. Anything drawn in red chalk is more vile than any white chalk drawing, even if they were already nasty to begin with. This would explain, partially, why Draow would listen to this guy. Draow was outmatched in ferocity by the intruder, if the intruder really is part red chalk.

Now, more than ever, they had to figure out who this guy was. They had to warn Skrawl and every other citizen out there. If there was the potential of a red and white chalk drawing out there, then they had much less time than they thought to stop him.

They had to hurry.


	7. Trying To Find Answers

Snap wasn’t surprised by what happened when they had reached Skrawl’s jail.

They had decided to go there right away to inform Skrawl of what they found out. They all knew it was important that everyone recieved word, and they felt Skrawl was the best person to talk to first, since he was head of one of the most secure jails in ChalkZone. He had a good number of weaponry that can be used to fight against this intruder if need be...provided that they would be quick enough.

Snap knew that Skrawl was not going to be happy when he would learn they didn’t stay out of the case like he told them to. It did annoy Snap how Skrawl seemed to care so much about keeping up his reputation that he would reject help so readily. He knows that Rudy could be a big help to him, but he is still on his ‘I’ll do thing on my own’ mindset. And now was the worst of times to be thinking like that.

They arrived at the jail while Skrawl just got back from his break. He was about to resume his shift when he had taken notice to Rudy, Penny, and Snap approaching. And no surprise, he didn’t look happy to see them. He had assumed they were coming back to look at the scene of the crime again. And Skrawl was fully prepared to keep them out by any means necessary, including force.

While they had wanted to look at the crime scene again, to see if they had missed anything, that isn’t what they came for that time. It had taken a little while before Rudy convinced Skrawl to listen to what they were going to say.

That was when Rudy explained to Skrawl what happened. He had no choice but to tell the jellybean the truth. He had to admit to him that, despite what they were told, they still went ahead to try to figure out more information about this intruder. He told Skrawl that Penny was able to learn more about the venom, and explained its properties to him. He told Skrawl about what Biclops had said about the intruder possibly being a hybrid of red and white chalk.

Rudy had made sure to stress how dangerous this zoner is if it is a combination of red and white chalk. It would have the intelligence and control of a white chalk drawing, but it would be fused with the ferocity of red chalk. Skrawl had encountered a red chalk drawing at least once before, so he was well aware of how dangerous red chalk was. This zoner had the potential of being far more dangerous than Draow, and combined with the venom, Skrawl didn’t have a hard time believing that.

But Skrawl still didn’t take the news of Rudy and his friends interfering with his case. And Snap couldn’t be surprised even if he had tried.

“I can’t believe you completely disregarded my order, Master Tabootie!” Skrawl snarled. He advanced on Rudy, clutching his left claws together into a fist. “I told you to stay out of it!”

Rudy backed up away from the angry jellybean, holding his hands out in defense, like he expected Skrawl to strike him. “I know, but Skrawl...we dealt with Draow before too! I don’t know why you won’t at least consider letting us help. And if we hadn’t gone to get information, you never would have...”

Skrawl cut him off. “I am going to handle this myself, artist boy! And besides, it’s too dangerous for you. Draow could care less about me, but you...as soon as he sees you, he will tear you apart. It is best if you stay far away from this case.”

Snap couldn’t help but smirk at this. “Aww you really do care about us.”

Skrawl shot him a look. “Shut up!”

Snap reacted only with a smile. Skrawl would never admit it. But he did care about their safety. He just would never admit it. And if he did show any act of softness or kindness, he’d demand that they never tell anyone. He didn’t want to lose his reputation as being an aggressive no-nonsense zoner. He didn’t want anyone in ChalkZone to think that he had gone soft. He felt he would lose his control that way.

It had taken Snap a while to get used to Skrawl being a, for a lack of a better term, good guy. He wasn’t sure if he could call him that, as he still retained his hostile personality. He was as stubborn as ever, and still had personality traits that he showed when he was a full on villain. If Snap could say anything about Skrawl, it was that he was in the grey area. Not really evil anymore, but still not entirely good. He still had a long ways to go with his attitude. But hey, at least it’s a start.

Snap still had that plushie that Skrawl and his Beanie Boys had given him. In the past, this would have been an insult to him. Snap recalled how Spy Fly was able to get inside Skrawl’s hideout and he learned that the Beanie Boys used plushies of him as target practice, and called them ‘dummies’. He had been furious at that, but luckily he had managed to cool himself down before his anger got the better of him. Although he was lucky he didn’t give himself away, it still ended badly for him when Spy Fly was found and Skrawl chased him out of the studio.

But the dummy..no..plushie that he had gotten when he was at the hospital, it didn’t offend him. It wasn’t given to him to taunt him. It was given to him because Skrawl, even if he didn’t admit it, had genuinely started to care about him, even if just a little. He didn’t want anyone to spread the word of what he did, so not many zoners knew of how he got the plushie or where. Snap did appreciate the gesture, even if it did come from Skrawl, and he kept the plushie in a safe place.

Snap frowned as his mind went back to the possibility of a hybrid zoner. He had never heard of such a thing before. He had thought it was possible, since drawings didn’t come to life or materialize until the artist had intended them to be finished. Yet the thought of just what it meant never crossed his mind before. He hadn’t realized that the main powers of two types of chalk could combine into one zoner.

The thought was frightening. There were other types of chalk out there, too. A whole host of combinations was possible. And what chilled him more was the fact that most of the chalk, he had no idea what their powers were. He only knew of white, red, and black chalk capabilities. But others, such as purple, green, orange, blue, those he had no idea what they were capable of. He didn’t know if any of them had powers that were far more dangerous than red or black.

“With all due respect, sir...” A warden said. The trio wondered where he came from. They hadn’t heard him approaching earlier. “Things might go easier if we cooperated. These kids might be able to help us.”

Skrawl narrowed his mismatched eyes at the warden. “Who asked you?!” He raised his hand in a striking pose. “Now get back to your post!”

The warden nodded his head frantically. “Y-Yes sir...” He turned and bolted in the opposite direction.

Skrawl looked at a few wardens who had witnessed what had happened. He bared his teeth at them, a clear warning that no more of them were to interfere with his talk. The wardens backed away and went about their business.

Snap shook his head. It was no wonder these wardens didn’t like Skrawl too much. He almost never listened to anyone else’s plans. He only cared about what he thought, and if he decided a course of action wasn’t good enough, he wouldn’t take it. And then he would take it out on his wardens. Typical Skrawl. Some things just don’t change.

“You know, he did make a good point, Skrawl.” Penny said. Although Skrawl still looked furious, Penny didn’t seem bothered by it. She had taken a step closer to him, showing how unafraid she was of Skrawl. “We’d get more done if you would just listen, and cooperate with us. Your whole ‘I will do this alone’ attitude is going to slow everything down, and by the time you find Draow, he would have already caused a lot of destruction, especially if he is paired up with an even more dangerous zoner! So for once in your life, can’t you just listen?!”

“Why should I?” Skrawl said, advancing on her. “Give me one good reason why I should allow you three to be a part of this investigation.”

“Oh I’ll give you a good reason...” Penny smirked.

Penny got closer to Skrawl. She gestured for him to lean forward. She cupped her hand and whispered something into his ear. After a few seconds, his eyes wide wide. He stared at Penny in shock. That soon melted away into fury. He let out a loud growl of frustration and looked like he was about to strike her. He managed to stop himself, and chose instead to turn his back on her.

Rudy and Snap stared at each other. Snap knew Rudy was thinking the same as him. Just what had Penny said to anger Skrawl so much? And how would this help convince the jellybean to change his mind?

There was silence for a time. The other workers in the jail stared, wondering what was going on. There were nervous whispers. Some wardens were scared that Skrawl was going to snap. They whispered to the girl to get away. Skrawl was looking angrier by the second. But Penny still held her ground, her arms crossed against her chest.

Finally Skrawl replied, his voice seeping through his yellow, clenched teeth. “..okay fine...” His voice was filled with bitterness. It was clear he was not happy to concede to Penny.

Yet, even he knew that Penny spoke the truth. Even Skrawl had to realize that the investigation didn’t kick off the ground as much as it should have, and all because of his obsession with ‘redeeming his reputation’.

Skrawl shot the trio a harsh glare. Then his expression relaxede just a tad. “You can help...if that is your desire, if you three really can’t stay out of this, then fine. I’ll let you aid me and my boys in the investigation...”

Penny smiled and said, “There, that wasn’t so hard, now was it?”

Skrawl grumbled in response. “Whatever...”

Skrawl walked away from the group. Snap wondered what he was going to do next. He still didn’t look happy. But whatever Penny had said, it was clear Skrawl wasn’t going to mess around with it. He hadn’t known Penny to be the blackmailing type, but considering how dire the situation was, he couldn’t bring himself to be at all surprised about it. Draow and this intruder had to be stopped at all costs.

The jellybean went over to his desk. He pulled out the drawer. He flipped through the material until he found the folder he was looking for. He yanked it out. He walked over to Rudy, Penny, and Snap, gripping the folder tightly in his claws. He went up to Rudy and shoved the folder into his hands. Rudy glanced at it, a confused look on his face.

Before anyone asked, Skrawl spoke.

Pointing at the folder, Skrawl said, “That folder right there contains some very old notes left behind by none other than Mr. Cosmo, back when he was a child. None of them will help in this case, except for one, which we believe to be a password. You three aren’t the only ones who thought Mr. Cosmo might have a connection in this case, somehow.”

Rudy, Penny, and Snap looked at each other. Then they glanced at the notes. It felt kinda weird to be holding something containing notes written by their old enemy. Snap wasn’t sure if he wanted to read the things this madman had wrote. At least the notes were from before he was created. He shuddered to think of what he would have written about his treatment of him. Snap’s whole body ached at the memory.

“Now, I would do it myself, or send my Beanie Boys, but the problem is, this password most likely belonged to a computer outside this place. The ink used for the password appears to be newer, so Mr. Cosmo must have written it recently, when he paid a brief visit to ChalkZone. The exact time frame, we cannot be sure of. But what I am absolutely sure of is that this computer is located in his hideout, where we were all trapped.”

Horrible memories came flooding back to Snap. All the pain came rushing at him. Even though he was not hurt anymore, his body still reacted to what happened. He could feel the nail in his head again, the electricity coursing through his body, Draow’s claws slicing into his back...

Rudy and Penny didn’t look any better either. They both remembered what it was like being Cosmo’s prisoners. They recalled how it felt being trapped in a maze that only Cosmo knew how to navigate properly. They were like mice in a maze, and all the walls were poison. Traps were everywhere. They all had been lucky to escape with their lives.

Skrawl continued, “I want you three to go to Mr. Cosmo’s old place of residence. Since he is gone, you don’t need to worry about him anymore. From what you told me, some of his real world equipment still stands. Go through any computer you can find, and try to find something that is password protected. Find out what it says, and report back to me as soon as you can.”

“Okay, Skrawl, will do!” Rudy said, giving the jellybean a nod. “You can count on us.”

The three of them walked out of the jail. Now that they had an idea of what to do, they wanted to act on it as soon as possible. The idea of going to Cosmo’s hideout wasn’t something they were expecting. Yet it was inevitable. If this zoner was, somehow, connected to Mr. Cosmo, they couldn’t just ignore his base, which may have a lot of clues to help them discover who this mysterious intruder is.

As they walked away, Rudy and Snap’s curiosity started to get the better of them. They both really wanted to know how Penny managed to get Skrawl to change his mind. When they were far enough away, out of earshot of Skrawl, they decided to ask.

“Say, how did you convince Skrawl to let us join the investigation?” Rudy asked.

“Yeah, don’t leave us in the dark.” Snap said. “What did you do?”

Penny stared at them for a second before a sly smile spread across her face. “Oh I told him that if he didn’t let us help, I was going to tell everyone of the time that he made a cute plushie of himself. He is so determined to forget that, so desperate for no one to find out, that he’d do anything to keep it a secret.” She let out a chuckle. “Even let us help him, even though he clearly doesn’t want our assistance.”

Rudy and Snap stared at each other.

“Skrawl has what?” Rudy asked, confused.

Snap was just as shocked. “He did what? And how did you find this out?”

Penny giggled. “Well let’s just say I have my ways.” She stopped in her tracks for a moment. She turned to Rudy and Snap and said, “Now keep this in mind. I did not like the idea of forcing him to accept our help in that way. But you guys know as much as I do how dangerous Draow is, and how much the search for him had slowed down because he wouldn’t accept our help. So, since he wouldn’t listen to reason, I had to blackmail him. I’m not proud of it, but at least we can finally help and Skrawl won’t be on our backs anymore.”

“Yeah I guess you are right.” Rudy said. He narrowed his eyes as he glanced down at the folder. “Come on, let’s get started.”

sss

It wasn’t too hard getting into Mr. Cosmo’s old base. They knew of a secret way in, out of the way of most workers. So sneaking in wasn’t a problem. Plus, the studio still didn’t really use these lower levels, so everything was the way it was when they had finished erasing all of Cosmo’s work.

Rudy felt a cold chill as he walked into the old place. It wasn’t as difficult to navigate now that the stuff Cosmo and the controlled zoners built was gone. No longer was there a maze to navigate. Yet, even with all the stuff gone, he felt very uncomfortable being here. If there was a place that would make him feel at unease, any place whose appearance felt cold and sharp, it was this place.

He looked down the empty hallways. Although it was now as regular as any old joint, he could still see visions of how it looked when Mr. Cosmo was alive. He could see the twisted tunnels they had to navigate, the hexagon shaped entrances. He could hear the hideous machinery running in the background, feeling it rumble the ground. And with every step, he kept thinking the electrified water bars would pop out of nowhere, trapping him and his friends.

The memories of what happened to him and his friends was fresh on his mind. He kept wanting to look over his shoulder to make sure Draow wasn’t charging at them. At every corner, he kept looking left and right to make sure Mr. Cosmo wasn’t hiding. He could see that his friends looked just as worried and apprehensive as him. Even with Mr. Cosmo gone, his memory still haunted them. They still expected him to be right around the corner, ready to strike out when they least expected it.

Snap’s wails of pain seemed to echo down the halls. The sound of his whimpers, pleas for mercy, Rudy could hear it all. His mind flashed several times, showing him the images of what he had seen done to Snap. A few times, he thought of what might have happened to him while he wasn’t there. He could see Snap’s face contorted into pain in his mind. And he saw Mr. Cosmo standing over him, his eyes glowing an eerie red, before he struck down.

Rudy shook his head, trying to get those thoughts out of his mind. Mr. Cosmo was gone. He kept repeating this to himself. He was gone, and he can’t hurt him anymore. They weren’t going to run into him ever again. He had paid the ultimate price for all the evil he had done. Never again will he be able to harm ChalkZone or any zoner or any person. This might be his base, but they were completely safe now. He kept reminding himself of that fact.

With all of Mr. Cosmo’s equipment erased, Rudy knew there were only a few places where they would be able to find computers. He wasn’t sure how many of them still worked or even if Cosmo used them at all. But he knew that they couldn’t afford overlooking anything, no matter how unimportant it might seem or how little sense it might make.

He knew of one particular room that had a computer in it. It had looked pretty old, but last he recalled, it did still at least turn on. He didn’t do anything with it because it didn’t seem like it was a part of anything dangerous. He was glad he didn’t destroy that computer. Maybe it is the one that holds something password protected. And hopefully, that something would help them out.

Snap looked around the place nervously. “I really don’t like being here...”

Penny crossed her arms against her chest and rubbed her hands along her arms as if a cold wind just blew in. “Yeah. This place gives me the creeps.. I never thought this place would feel...spookier without Mr. Cosmo around...”

Rudy didn’t blame his friends for being so afraid. They all had suffered here, Snap most of all. They all were injured, all tormented by this madman. They all thought they would never get out. The idea of coming back here willingly...it was not a pleasant feeling.

But even they understood that they had no choice. Mr. Cosmo might have a file somewhere that would help them identify this intruder. Maybe he kept records of this creature somewhere, maybe even information on how to contain him. Mr. Cosmo would want to be able to control something like this, so surely he would have wrote something down on how to do so.

Rudy’s mind filled with fear when he realized there was another possibility they hadn’t even considered. What if Mr. Cosmo never learned how to control the beast? What if his experiment to control red chalk drawings had failed miserably, and he had to lock the zoner away because he was out of control? The thought scared Rudy. If even Cosmo had no way of controlling this intruder, no way to stop him...

“Hey Rudy, I found that computer you told me about.” Penny said, cutting Rudy out of his thoughts.

Indeed, they had arrived at the room Rudy mentioned. The door was off its hinge, tilted diagonally at the side. When the lightswitch was flipped on, there was only a single lightbulb hanging overhead. The light was kinda dim, but it was enough to see what the room looked like.

Cobwebs were everywhere, clinging to the walls and giving the appearance of a white sheet. Dust covered the desks, the computers, and the various materials scattered in the room, mostly books, pencils, and folders. The computer was very old, made apparrent by the CRT monitor. The keyboard keys looked worn and it was hard to see the letters. The mouse was on its side and they could see it was one of the really old ball ones.

Penny went over to the chair and brushed the dust off. She found the power button and she turned the computer on. It took a few minutes to fully load up, and once the computer crashed during the load up and had to check the file system to make sure everything was okay. Then the logo appeared, the computer made a ding sound to let the user know it was fully booted and they were greeted with what was clearly an outdated operating system.

But after a few minutes of searching through the folders, Penny was not able to find anything of interest. Most of what she found were just music files and to do lists that were closer to grocery shopping lists than anything to do with ChalkZone.

Finally, Penny stopped searching and turned to Rudy and Snap. “I’m not finding anything, you guys. I don’t know if this computer even has any sensitive data on it. We might as well try to see if there’s another computer here.”

Rudy was disappointed. Then again, he couldn’t be too surprised. It would have been wishful thinking to believe that the first computer they find would have anything on it.

“Okay. There is another computer I...” Rudy was cut off when Snap brushed up passed him and towards the computer. “Snap, what are you doing?”

“I thought I saw something...” Snap pushed himself against Penny as he tried to get a better look. His round hand pushed against the mouse and he moved the cursor to a folder in the corner on the desktop labeled simply as ‘lists’.

“Snap, I already looked there.” Penny said. She attempted to regain control of the mouse. “Now will you...”

“Wait Penny! There is one file you didn’t look at!” Snap cried. When the folder popped up, he moved the cursor over to a file simply called ‘warning’. Cursor hovering of it, they were able to tell the file dated back to when they were first trapped in this horrible place. He looked at her and said, “See? You didn’t look at that file.”

Penny blinked, staring at the file in shock. “I..have no idea how I missed that one...”

“Open it, Penny!” Rudy said. “Maybe this file will tell us something...”

Penny double clicked the file. A video player started to open. They waited for the video to play, but instead it froze. A small window popped up, asking for a password. Rudy’s eyes widened. Was this...could this be what the password was for? Could they have managed to find what they were looking for?

Heart beginning to pound, he turned to Penny and said with great urgency, “Enter the password! Now!”

He handed her the paper that contained the password. Swiftly, Penny typed it into the box and pressed Okay. The window disappeared. Then the video player started to load back up again. It took a little while, and they guessed it was because of how old the computer was.

Then the file fully loaded up. And as it began to play, they were taken aback at who they saw on the old video.

It was Ms. Saffron.


	8. Her Final Transmission

Rudy couldn’t believe it. This wasn’t what he had been expecting. If this was Mr. Cosmo’s password, why would Ms. Saffron be on the video? Unless she was given the same password... Still, he had a hard time believing that it was Ms. Saffron they were looking at.

It felt...so odd to see her again after over a year and a half. And alive at that. It was just a prerecorded video, but he still couldn’t fight off the strange sensation he felt. Memories of her death came flooding back to him, and the old feeling of guilt, what he had managed to fight off with the help of his friends, came back to him. To see her again, alive and..not dead...it was hard for him to describe the feeling.

Penny and Snap looked as surprised as he was. From their expressions, he could easily determine that they had not expected Ms. Saffron to be on the video. They all thought it was going to be Mr. Cosmo, gloating about some experiment he completed. The one thing they hadn’t thought would happen was for Ms. Saffron to leave this video.

Then again, that would explain why it was called ‘warning’... He doubted Mr. Cosmo would be generous enough to entitle a file as such. He had to wonder, when did Ms. Saffron have the time to make this video? And just how was it intended for? He figured the answer would be given when he and his friends watched more of the video.

So far, the first ten seconds or so was silent. Ms. Saffron looked very worried. Her eyebrows were raised up in anxiety. She was looking left and right, as if making sure that the coast was clear. Penny made a quiet comment that she must have done the video when she was sabotaging the security, and she was worried Mr. Cosmo was going to show up any minute.

After looking left and right again, Ms. Saffron turned to the camera. She reached forward and adjusted the webcam that was apparently mounted on the computer at the time. She leaned back in her chair and interlocked her fingers. She bit her lip and took in a deep breath.

And when she started speaking, it sent an uncomfortable feeling through their stomachs. Hearing her voice again after so slong... They tried to ignore the feeling and paid attention to the video.

“This message has been recorded and left behind for three people. Rudy. Penny. Snap. I am going to assume that you won’t find this until much later on, which is understandable, given all that has happened lately. Today’s date, when I recorded this, is August 20 at 4:30 PM.”

Rudy and his friends looked at each other. Ms. Saffron had left them a video message? Why? Judging from the time, this video was recorded, like Penny said, when she was still sabotaging the security cameras. It was about half an hour before she showed up to help Penny with Snap. Was there a reason she didn’t say anything?

It was almost like Ms. Saffron on the video heard them, for she did answer their question.

“I understand you three might be wondering why I didn’t give you this message before. There is a good reason for it. I wouldn’t have had time to explain. There was so much going on, and to add this onto it all... It would have complicated things too much.” She frowned in concern. “I didn’t want to slow down things for Snap...he...he really needs help... But if there’s one thing I learned...” She gave a small smile. “..it’s that you three don’t give up. So I am going to assume that he made it.”

Ms. Saffron smile only lasted a few seconds. Something was clearly on her mind, and she knew she didn’t have much time to talk about it. Again, she looked around to make sure she was still alone. Whether she was looking for Mr. Cosmo or any of the controlled zoners, they weren’t sure.

Ms. Saffron narrowed her eyes slightly. “When I was looking through Mr. Cosmo’s files...I found something disturbing. It wouldn’t have affected you at the time I made this video, adding to my reason why I didn’t mention it. And I know...keeping secrets is not a good thing... That is why I left this video for you three to find. Anyway, in one of Mr. Cosmo’s files, he detailed about a zoner I hadn’t heard of before. Well that’s not saying much given that I didn’t get to know a lot of zoners personally...except Snap and...Draow...”

The mention of Draow’s name sent shivers through Rudy’s spine. Penny looked uneasy as well, and Snap had taken a small step back. Rudy could see he was touching his back, as if he expected Draow to attack him there.

“Apparently, when Mr. Cosmo was a child, he had been trying to create a chalk that would make the perfect zoners. You and I all know that his idea of a ‘perfect zoner’ would be one that was ferocious and totally obedient. He had already tried with red chalk. But red chalk...from what he detailed, it turns against its owner quickly, as soon as it detects what it sees as weakness. Mr. Cosmo admits the red chalk was a failure, a mistake. The only thing he is pleased with it is the fact that anything created with red chalk, even as smile as a ball or line, is evil and attacks on sight. He liked that ferocity...but he didn’t like that he coudn’t completely control it. So...he thought of a solution.”

Biclops’s words came flooding back to Rudy. He looked at his friends worriedly. Could he have been right? Was there...was there truly a hybrid zoner out there?

There was only one way to find out. Though clearly afraid of what they might find, the trio watched the video, morbid curiosity rising up inside of them.

“Although Mr. Cosmo hated the normal white chalk, he wasn’t stupid. He did realize that white chalk drawings had a lot more self control. In fact, that’s the chalk’s main power. Creating things that have the ability to tell right from wrong pretty easily, and being able to stop themselves. That is why white chalk is most common, at least that’s what Mr. Cosmo theorizes. I...think you know what I am about to say next...”

Ms. Saffron looked scared. It was clear whatever she found, it wasn’t good news. She hesitated, gritting her teeth in anxiety. It seemed to take all her will power to talk more.

“Mr. Cosmo knew that if he somehow could mix the powers of the two types of chalk, the red and white... He could potentially create a zoner that did have self control but also had the ferocity associated with red chalk. This combination would, if it were successful, would have allowed Mr. Cosmo to create a...a hybrid zoner as he says. And he thought about all this when he was a kid.”

Rudy’s breathing started to quicken. So Biclops was right... They could be dealing with a hybrid zoner...

“However, according to his notes, it wasn’t entirely a success. He had created one zoner with red and white chalk, but he didn’t think his theory through very well. The zoner he had ended up creating was one with a severe split personality. It would be happy and cheerful one minute, and then destructive the next.”

Rudy winced at this. It reminded him of the robot he and Penny created. It had been erased into ChalkZone without a purpose. Due to that, it had a split personlity, much like how Ms. Saffron described. It would randomly do harm and good, with no way to predict what he was going to do.

He looked at his friends. They clearly remembered the robot. Although the robot was under control now, memories of how the robot nearly killed all of them were fresh on their minds. Rudy swore to never erase anything again until it had some kind of purpose. He didn’t want another Robot Rudy incident like that.

Ms. Saffron continued her talk, “He had erased the zoner with real world water..” She gave a shudder, clearly uncomfortable with the thought. “He didn’t try to do anything with the mixing of two chalks for years. And as I looked through his notes, it was almost like he had stopped on the idea after the failure of the first one. But...I was wrong...” She closed her eyes and shook her head. “He didn’t quit on it...he waited because he wanted to learn more, and then he got smart about it. You see, the first time, he had tried using white chalk to draw part of the drawing, and then red chalk for the other. This resulted in the two parts battling against each other for dominance, resulting in the split personality..”

Ms. Saffron paused to look again. She was looking more and more nervous as time passed. She looked back at the camera and said, “So instead, he created a new type of chalk... He only created one. And he only created two zoners with it. He had...put that experiment aside for...something else...” She gave a sympathetic expression to the camera. “I trust you three know what I’m talking about.”

Rudy, Penny, and Snap looked at each other, nodding their heads once as if they thought that Ms. Saffron would see their answer. Mr. Cosmo was preoccupied with Snap at the time. He must have felt that bringing Rudy over to his side was more important than his hybrid zoner experiment.

Rudy felt a little bit of relief that Mr. Cosmo decided not to focus so much on the hybrid zoner plan. Yet, a feeling of dread told him that they weren’t out of the woods. Something...must have happened...

“This chalk looked much like a candy cane, with white and red stripes swirling around it. He created two zoners with it. Knowing that the powers of magic chalk do transfer...to explain, if a red chalk drawing were created in the real world, when erased, it would be evil. Now it has to be genuine red chalk, not the normal real world kind.” Ms. Saffron leaned forward in her seat. “Now what I’m going to tell you next is very important, so listen very carefully.”

The trio leaned in instinctively.

“The first hybrid zoner created this way...didn’t work out for him. Make no mistake, the result was what he wanted. The zoner did have the tenacity of red chalk but the intelligence of white chalk. But Mr. Cosmo had no control over it. The hybrid zoner was very dangerous. Even Draow was apparently afraid of it. Mr. Cosmo had no choice but to kill the zoner. Not like he was heartbroken over it, since this is Mr. Cosmo we are talking about but still... He hadn’t planned on killing the zoner. He only did so because it was out of control. It didn’t get along with the controlled white chalk drawings. It didn’t get along with Draow. It was a complete and utter mess.”

Although Rudy knew the seriousness of the situation, he did feel some bit of satisfaction of Mr. Cosmo’s plans backfiring on him. He was still upset with how that guy felt he had the right to control the zoners. So it gave him a sense of relief that this experiment to create an obedient zoner failed.

“Because of the failure of the first experiment, he didn’t bother erasing the second zoner. He felt that if he did, it would interfere with his plans. Now, since it was never erased, I cannot confirm how dangerous this second zoner would have been... But this is where I get to the most important part of the video, and I hope...oh I really hope you get this before it is too late...”

Ms. Saffron’s voice took on a much more worried tone. Rudy bit his lip. He looked at his friends nervously. Had they been too late? Something told them...they were already too late...

Ms. Saffron stared at the camera with wide eyes. “I know this is tempting for you to do, Rudy...Penny...Snap... But please, whatever you do, do not erase Mr. Cosmo’s equipment! Not until you do a thorough search and look for this hybrid zoner! If you erase before you check, you will erase the hybrid zoner! And after that...I can’t tell you what would happen. If this second zoner was anything like the first one, the results would be catastrophic. You are looking at a zoner who is very similiar to Mr. Cosmo...except he has the potential of being worse...”

Someone worse than Mr. Cosmo...?

Rudy’s body started to tremble. Mr. Cosmo had been a monster. He had done terrible things to him and his friends. He had killed Ms. Saffron in cold blood. He had tortured and nearly killed Snap. The idea of someone being out there worse than him...it was frightening to think about. He couldn’t imagine someone being worse than Mr. Cosmo...

He looked at his friends. Penny stared at him with wide eyes, her mouth open in horror. Slowly, she turned her gaze back to the video. Just enough for her to see it, as if she was afraid something would pop out of she turned her head all the way. And Snap..he had brought his hands up to his face and started shaking. Rudy had a feeling he was remembering all the horrible things Mr. Cosmo had subjected him to. It must be horrible for him to hear that there was someone out there even worse than that monster.

Ms. Saffron looked at the webcam sorrowfully. “I...have a feeling this message will get to you too late. And I do not fault you. Who can say you will have a reason to look for this video? And why did I make it? To be prepared...just in case the...thing happens and you need to find information. And I am going to assume that, at the moment, the hybrid zoner is loose in ChalkZone. If you want to know how to tell if this is a hybrid zoner or not, there is one only one way to tell. Its outline, according to Mr. Cosmo’s notes, will be striped, not a solid color. Look for that, and you’ll find the hybrid zoner.”

Ms. Saffron gave a pause. It was like she knew that they needed a few seconds to let this information sink in. Only after about a minute did she continue talking.

“You must exercise great caution when dealing with this zoner. It will be highly unpredictable, like the first hybrid zoner. Watch your backs and expect the unexpected. Treat it with the same level of caution as you would with Mr. Cosmo.” Her eyes widened suddenly. “Oh I almost forgot! There is one more important thing to know about the hybrid zoner. Mr. Cosmo, before he destroyed the first one, had found the hybrid zoner eating the dry remains of a rat that had found its way into the base. A real world rat, mind you, not a chalk one. Mr. Cosmo had never known a zoner to eat real world food before, and I’m sure you guys haven’t either. It might not seem like much. It’s just a rat. But...” She stared into the camera and whispered, “...what if it decided to for a...larger target...?”

This made the three freeze, their blood turning to ice. The implication that Ms. Saffron had given was crystal clear and utterly frightening. The idea of a zoner eating real world food was startling enough. It didn’t seem possible. The systems and the way things were set up were different. It would be hard to impossible for a zoner to eat real world food, especially with the water they got to worry about...

But this zoner...

Somehow, this zoner had found a way to eat real world food without consequence. Ms. Saffron had mentioned something about dry... Maybe there was no liquid left in the rat and thus the zoner could ate it with no problem.

But what Ms. Saffron implied...the idea that the zoner could go after larger game...that frightened them to the core. That meant that...the zoner might go after...humans...

Rudy and Penny stared at each other, their bodies shaking. Ms. Saffron didn’t outright say that was what the zoner was going to do. She only hinted that it was a possibility. But it was a possibility they hoped was wrong. They didn’t want to think of the idea of a zoner hunting and eating humans. Even though they were safe in the real world, they still had to be careful.

“I do apologize for that unpleasant thought. But I couldn’t keep that from you. It was important that you knew of this potentiality. With a hybrid zoner, the more you know, the better equipped you are. I wish I could tell you how to stop the hybrid zoner, but alas, Mr. Cosmo never wrote that down. He just outright killed the zoner when it didn’t meet his demands. I have a feeling you three would not want to go that same route. You would want to subdue the zoner. But I cannot tell you how to do that. You will have to rely on your own wits and courage to do so. I have no idea how long it would take for the hybrid zoner to strike. And I don’t know if you will get this message before then. I pray that you do...if not...well I hope the best for you three.”

Then she went silent. At first, Rudy, Penny, and Snap wondered if she had said all she wanted to and just forgot to stop the recording. But seeing that there was quite a bit of time left, they found it unlikely. And they were soon proven right. There was more that the woman had wanted to tell them.

“Look, I...I don’t know if I will make it through to the end with you guys... I have my suspicions that Mr. Cosmo will try to kill me.”

This shocked the trio. Ms. Saffron had...known she was going to die? Rudy’s eyes widened at this.

“I do not know for certain. But after I found out just what kind of man he is...I wouldn’t put it past him. That is why I recorded this via video...just in case I...don’t make it...” She narrowed her eyes and turned her head away from the camera for a second. She sighed and looked back. “And I would like to take this time, just in case I never get the chance to, to say that I’m...sorry. Rudy, I shouldn’t have called you a juvenile delinquent. Mr. Cosmo told me to do that but...that doesn’t make a good excuse. I knew it was wrong and I should have listened to my conscience. I didn’t...and I am sorry for that. Penny I...hope you can forgive me..for being involved with that...monster...and helping him hurt your two friends like this. And Snap...”

The trio saw tears form in the woman’s eyes. They dripped down slowly. She sniffled once and continued.

“I am...so very sorry I didn’t tell you the truth...all of it... I didn’t want you to feel so afraid. I...I wanted you to be a little more comfortable. But in the end I...only made it worse for you. I should have told you everything from the start, and I know you must feel so betrayed. I apologize sincerely, Snap. And in case we don’t get to see each other again, let me say this. I did enjoy the time we spent together. You...seem like a really nice guy. You...don’t deserve anything Mr. Cosmo has done to you... And I am sorry I helped him do this...”

Rudy felt tears form in his eyes as, at long last, Ms. Saffron got to deliver to Snap the apology she had wanted to give. Even if it was just in the form of a video, even though it would have been so much better if she had been...alive... It still brought some sense of happiness to him that, in a way, she got to apologize at last.

Penny whispered under her breath, “Looks like she got what she wanted...” She looked down to Snap.

Snap also had tears forming in his eyes. He tried to fight them off, rubbing his face with his round hand. He didn’t say anything. He looked like he was deep in thought.

Ms. Saffron leaned back in the chair, looking like she was getting ready to leave. “I will wrap up this video. I don’t have much time left. Mr. Cosmo won’t be distracted for very long. But before I end this video, I want to say one more thing.”

The woman paused for a moment. She looked distraught at first. Then, when she faced the camera, a smile started to tick, slowly creeping onto her face.

“I...really want to thank all of you, for opening my eyes. Rudy, Penny, and Snap... You made me realize what a horrible mistake I made in working with Mr. Cosmo. You helped me see just how wrong I was about ChalkZone. I realize now, more than ever, it is not ChalkZone I had to be afraid of. It was Mr. Cosmo, and anyone like him. And I thank you three for making me realize that.”

Ms. Saffron started to move the mouse. The video was reaching towards the end. Before she clicked on it, she looked at the camera. Her eyes were glistening and the smile still on her face.

“Good luck...my friends...”

Then the video was over. And as it shut off, Rudy felt a pang in his heart, a tear dripping down from his face.


	9. Hazardous

Friends...

Even though Ms. Saffron hadn’t known them that long, even though everything at the time was uncertain...

She still called them her friends... She saw them as her friends...

The realization of that hit Rudy hard. And he didn’t expect it to. He wasn’t sure, at first, why it hurt him so much to hear Ms. Saffron call them her friends. And soon, he realized why. It was a harsh reminder of what they could have been. A reminder of how things might have went, if only a few things had been different. It reminded him about how brave Ms. Saffron had been in her final hours, only for her to be taken away.

Rudy knew there was nothing they could do for her. She had passed on over a year ago. They still visited her grave from time to time, give her some respect. Her death still saddened them, and hearing her voice again and seeing her alive, even though it was in a video, was bittersweet. Because, for a moment, Rudy forgot that she was dead. He had to remind himself of the truth, that the video was old, not recent, that Saffron hadn’t faked her death and was hiding out somewhere.

Ms. Saffron calling them her friends had effected Penny and Snap as well. Penny had put her hands to her mouth and he could see tears streaming down her face. Snap was no better. He could see his lip quivering, and he had a feeling Snap was reminded of what he said at Ms. Saffron’s grave, about how nice it would have been if they got to be friends. To know that Ms. Saffron already believed him to be one of her friends, it was emotionally impacting.

It was nice that Ms. Saffron had gotten to apologize to each of them. She had realized she might not get a chance to, and made a video ahead of time. She sounded so sincere in the video. He knew she was telling the truth. And although her apology came so late, it was nice that Snap finally got to hear it. Even though Snap knew she was sorry, it did mean a lot to finally hear her come out and say it, even if it was just in the form of a video.

The fact that she knew she was going to day..that was disheartening to hear. She had suspected that she would be killed, and made the video just in case she turned out to be right. And, sadly, she was correct in her assumption...

It sounded like she had accepted her fate. The way she talked about how ‘in case I don’t make it’ sounded to Rudy as if she had accepted that she might die. It wasn’t a ‘oh well’ kind of acceptance either. Ms. Saffron didn’t want to die. She just understood there was a chance she might, and yet, she still stuck around for however long she could. She still helped them in anyway she found possible.

And doing that, all while knowing that Mr. Cosmo was out to get her, took courage.

Rudy’s mind went to the warning Ms. Saffron had given them. He felt his heart start to race when she told them not to erase the equipment until there was a thorough check. He was upset at first that Ms. Saffron hadn’t said anything, but then he realized she was worried that she might slow them down, and there was the fact that Mr. Cosmo might have overheard her.. It was a hectic time and he understood that she didn’t have a moment to tell them. Snap’s health was in decline, there were the controlled zoners...

He wished he had thought about checking the computers before they went and erased everything. If he had done that, they might have found this computer, found the file, and saw it before any more damage could be done. He felt very guilty when he realized that he was the one who unleashed this dangerous zoner into ChalkZone. He had unwittingly released something that might be a bigger threat than Mr. Cosmo ever was.

This hybrid zoner was more terrifying than he and his friends ever thought. They were already disturbed about the idea of a zoner with white and red capabilities. They already knew that a zoner like that was dangerous. But what Ms. Saffron said...it chilled them to the core. It was far worse than they thought...

A zoner that had a taste for real world flesh? That was utterly disturbing, and the fact that the hybrid zoner might go after humans was rather unsettling. Eating real world food was dangerous for a zoner. The idea that a zoner figured out how to do this without consequence, or at least survive the process every time, it was scary to think about.

And the idea of the zoner being so ferocious that even Draow was afraid...Rudy realized they had bitten off more than they could chew. They were running into this blind and he was realizing just how horrible of an idea that had been. They needed to learn more about hybrid zoners before they were able to proceed. Maybe Barney would be able to tell them something. He knew all about the history of ChalkZone. He might know about hybrid zoners, even just a little bit.

But Barney had been busy lately... He might not have time to talk to them. And he and his friends didn’t exactly have the time to go looking through the jungle to find Barney. They still needed to get back to Skrawl and tell them of their discovery. He had to be warned. The rest of ChalkZone had to be warned.

He turned to his friends and gestured with his hand. “Come on...we should head back.”

Penny nodded her head slowly. “Yeah. Skrawl would want to know about this.” She paused for a moment, and then she looked at Rudy worriedly. “What do you think will happen...if this intruder turns out to be this...hybrid zoner Ms. Saffron warned us about...?”

Rudy flinched at the question. “I...don’t know. I never faced something like this before...”

“We can always ask Biclops.” Snap suggested. “He guards the magic chalk... He’s probabl aware of some way to counteract hybrids.”

“But Ms. Saffron indicated that hybrids weren’t thought of until Mr. Cosmo came along. And only one hybrid was created in ChalkZone...well on purpose. And the two Mr. Cosmo created on purpose were promptly erased. I don’t think Biclops would be able to gather a lot of information from that.” Penny said, her voice laced with fear and uncertainty. “It is possible that Cosmo never found any other method in stopping them... Maybe killing them was the only thing he could do.”

Rudy narrowed his eyes. “Cosmo killed them because he was a monster... I don’t think he would have bothered to try to find another method. You know how he is. If something doesn’t go his way, he destroys it.” He said with disgust. His mind burned with anger as he remembered the horrible treatment given to Snap. “There could have been a way, but that...madman may have deliberately ignored it and chose to kill the zoners...just in case he did find a way to control them. He would want something that was unstoppable. Something no one knew how to combat.”

“You do have a point, Rudy.” Penny said. “And the idea that this hybrid zoner is worse than Mr. Cosmo...”

“Please...” Snap cried, his body shaking. “Don’t give me any ideas...”

Penny stared into Snap’s widened, frightened eyes. “I’m sorry, Snap...”

Rudy looked at Snap sadly. He couldn’t blame him for being so afraid. They were all terrified of what this zoner was capable of, if even Mr. Cosmo’s cruelty couldn’t match him. He wasn’t sure what they were going to do when the time came to confront him. Would they even be remotely prepared?

Rudy turned his head, looking out the doorway. “We...should get going now.”

Snap nodded his head eagerly. “Yeah. Let’s get out of this place. I..don’t like it here...”

Rudy cast Snap a sympathetic glance as he and Penny walked out of the room. He began to follow. He paused for a moment. He looked back at the computer. He went towards it and placed a hand on the monitor, taking in a deep breath.

“Thanks, Ms. Saffron...” He whispered. Then he turned and walked away.

sss

“What?! Are you sure?!”

Skrawl looked very shocked. And Rudy wasn’t at all surprised. He had a feeling the jellybean would react with such disbelief.

They had just arrived back at the jail. Skrawl was surprised they came back so soon. Rudy wasn’t sure if he should be insulted or not. He wasn’t sure if Skrawl really did think it would take a while of searching through every computer, trying to find the one file the password went to, or if Skrawl did not have as much faith in their abilities or something.

Skrawl had been in the back with an investigator who was analyzing the scene of the crime. From what they overheard, they were trying to figure out the relative size and some features of the intruder, to see if any of the mess would give them some clues. Having an idea of what the intruder looked like was crucial in finding him and stopping him.

Before Skrawl noticed them, the trio overheard some details from the investigator. The intruder was not very large. He was definitely smaller than Draow. The investigator guessed, judging from the claw marks and the accounts from the wardens, that the intruder, at shoulder height, was about as tall as Snap. He was able to determine, from looking closely at all the slash marks, both on the walls and the machinery, that the intruder had three claws on each foot, pretty large ones, and he was four-legged, not two like everyone originally thought.

The fact that the intruder was only about as tall as Snap didn’t bring any comfort to Rudy or Penny. Size did not mean much when it came to threat levels. And the fact that this intruder was able to get Draow to take orders from him, despite being so much smaller, and the fact he was able to get Draow out so easily...it just made him all the more terrifying. If something that small could get something as big and dangerous to follow its orders...

The investigator was able to reveal something else as well. It seemed Penny had the right idea the whole time with the cameras. They were tampered with. The investigator told Skrawl about how images had been taped over the camers so carefully so that no one would notice. Only a few cameras outside the building had them, the point in which the intruder had wanted to enter from. This did explain why the alarm didn’t go off until the intruder was inside the jail.

Skrawl was understandably furious and ordered some of his technicians to go fix the cameras. He was going to look into the camera designs pretty soon and change them so that covering them up like that wouldn’t work again.

The last thing the investigator said chilled Rudy. He had been talking about the hole in the wall. He mentioned how clean the cut was. It was too clean, and the investigator had doubts that any item in ChalkZone could create such a hole. However, the investigator was able to think of one thing that could create the hole. Something that seemed so harmless, something that Rudy never thought could be used in such a way.

A piece of magic chalk.

The thought horrified him and his friends. Magic chalk could not be used by any zoner; only humans. The only way they could think of magic chalk being involved in this is that a creator had been helping the intruder this whole time. But that made no sense. There was no evidence of any new creators showing up in ChalkZone. Someone would have noticed and said something about it.

There was another way, but Rudy shuddered to think about it. The other way that magic chalk could have worked was...

...was if this zoner could use magic chalk, somehow...

“Is it even possible for such a thing to exist?”

Skrawl’s cry of disbelief snapped Rudy out of his thoughts. He gave a quick nod to the jellybean. “Yeah..that’s what Ms. Saffron said.”

“Ms. Saffron?” Skrawl was confused. “I thought she was...”

Penny nodded her head sadly. “Yeah..she is... She left behind a video for us to find. She told us about some secret experiment Mr. Cosmo had done on the side. He had apparently hidden it very well from us. Until we found that video, we had no idea he had actually done something like that recently.”

Snap waved his arms frantically. “And it’s not the first time! He created one in ChalkZone years ago, only to destroy it when it ‘malfunctioned’, as he would say, on him.”

Skrawl’s mismatched eyes were widened in shock. He looked at the three, as if he were judging them to make sure they were telling him the truth. “A red chalk zoner with the self control of white chalk zoners?” He shook his head in disbelief. “I never thought it was even possible to do that... I had no idea there was someone crazy enough to try to control red chalk.”

“Well Mr. Cosmo did create the red chalk, so of course he would want to have control over it.” Rudy said.

Skrawl nodded. “Good point, artist boy.” He paused for a moment, frowning in deep thought. He looked at the three again and said, “What else were you able to find out?”

“That this hybrid zoner has the potential of being worse than Mr. Cosmo. Ms. Saffron detailed on how the zoner even frightened Draow...which would explain, if this intruder is the hybrid, why Draow so easily decided to work with him. Mr. Cosmo had drawn two hybrid zoners and only let one come alive. And when that one failed, he destroyed it and left the second alone.” Rudy explained. With a guilty tone of voice, he continued, “I...erased the second hybrid without realizing it... When I went to erase Mr. Cosmo’s equipment, the drawing for the second hybrid zoner was there somewhere...and I erased it.”

Skrawl narrowed his eyes dangerously. He took one step towards Rudy, raising a hand like he was about to strike. “You did what?! Are you insane?!”

Rudy held out his hands in front of him. “I didn’t know! None of us knew!”

“Yeah, Skrawl. Cool yourself down!” Penny scolded him. “None of us knew about this hybrid zoner until recently. If Rudy had known about it, he wouldn’t have been so quick to erase everything. He would have checked and done something to make sure the hybrid zoner never got into ChalkZone.”

Skrawl growled lowly, but he took a step back away from Rudy. “I suppose you’re right, genius girl... I know Master Tabootie wouldn’t knowingly unleash a threat upon this world.” His expression slowly softened, but just a tad. He was still scowling, but at least now, his anger wasn’t directed at Rudy. “Anything...else?”

Snap nodded his head. “Yeah. Ms. Saffron talked about how this zoner ate the remains of a real world rat.”

This caused a gasp to escape from Skrawl’s mouth. He swiveled his head in Snap’s direction, eyes very wide. “You’re..joking...right?”

Snap shook his head. “Afraid not, Skrawly.”

Skrawl growled. “Don’t call me Skrawly!”

“Well anyway...” Snap said, completely ignoring Skrawl’s shout at him. “Ms. Saffron said that Mr. Cosmo documented the zoner eating the remains of a real world rat. There is no way he would have made something creepy like that up. So we can conclude that she is being truthful about this. And there’s the possibility that...”

“..that this zoner will try to go after humans.” Penny finished, her voice soft and shakey. “There is no record if this hybrid zoner would do such a thing. But if he is anything like the first one, then...we should be prepared.”

Skrawl nodded his head. “Agreed. You two are in bigger danger than I thought. I would take you off the case, but if this zoner is as dangerous as you say, it wouldn’t matter, really.” He paused and thought for a moment. He turned his head towards the crime scene. He then turned back to the trio. “I do not normally do this, but I authorize you two to, just in case, to bring sealed real world water with you.”

Rudy’s eyes widened in horror. “We can’t do that! It’s too risky!”

“Yes I know..” Skrawl said. His expression turned into something that Rudy and his friends rarely see from Skrawl. A look of concern. “But at least that way, you’ll be safe. The hybrid zoner can’t possibly be stupid... If he sees you with some real world water, he would know to stay back. Just..consider the idea, okay?”

Rudy sighed. “Okay, Skrawl..we’ll consider it.”

“Thank you.” The smile on Skrawl’s face took them all by surprise. But they weren’t shocked when it faded really fast and the familiar glare turned. He turned his head towards his wardens. “I will inform my men of what you have discovered.”

Rudy, Penny, and Snap left the jail soon after that. Skrawl had went over to his wardens to tell them what happened. It was getting late and Rudy and Penny had to leave soon to go home. They had told Skrawl everything they found out and they hoped it would be enough. Skrawl promised to get word out to ChalkZone newstations to let them know of the threat. And to top it off, he would send his Beanie Boys out to spread the word.

They were happy to know how serious Skrawl was taking all of this. The same determination he had when he used to scheme still shined now, and this time he was using it for good, not evil. Considering how determined this guy was in the past, they trusted that he would keep his word.

As they walked away, Rudy couldn’t help but wonder what they were going to do about the hybrid zoner. He didn’t want to resort to real world water. He didn’t want to resort to killing... He still was haunted by Mr. Cosmo’s death. Even though it wasn’t his fault, Rudy still felt somewhat guilty about it. He had never wanted that to happen to the man, even if he thought he was the most disgusting person on the planet.

The idea of having to kill the intruder...it wasn’t something he wanted to think about. He understood Skrawl’s concern. He knew that, if the time came, that might be what they’d have to do, especially if this intruder so easily avoids capture, and can so easily slip through one of the most secure jails in ChalkZone.

And the idea that he might be able to wield magic chalk... If that was true, if there was a type of magic chalk zoners could use...

Rudy gulped as he realized how big of a threat they were dealing with.

“Rudy?” He heard Penny say. He turned to her. “We should go back home. We need to do some studying for tomorrow’s test.”

Rudy’s eyes widened. The test..he had forgotten about the chemistry test. He looked down to Snap and said, “We’ll be back tomorrow.”

Snap nodded his head. “Around what time?”

Rudy looked over at Penny, trying to think of an answer. After thinking about what time they’d get off of school, and anything else they had to do... “At around 3:00 PM. Meet us at the portal at our house, okay?”

Snap said, “Okay. See you two tomorrow then!”

“Goodbye, Snap!” The two said in unison, waving farewell. They began to walk away, towards the portal back home.

Unbeknownst to them, hiding away in thick foliage that they were walking by, a pair of bright green eyes was staring at them. They belonged to Bardot. The zoner was hidden in the shadows of the bushes, keeping very quiet. He narrowed his eyes as he watched Rudy and Penny walk, and smirked as he realized they hadn’t noticed him.

He turned his head, watching them as they continued walking away. His eyes widened slightly, brightening. A smile spread across his muzzle, his fangs dripping with heated venom.

“Well...at least you got to say goodbye...”


	10. In The Night

“Uhh...A?” Rudy asked.

Penny shook her head, in her hand a small card. “No, the answer was C.”

“Oh man...” Rudy grumbled. He narrowed his eyes as he stared at the floor. “I’m never going to get this right!”

Penny looked at him sympathetically. “Oh don’t be that way, Rudy. You just need some practice, that’s all.” She set the small stack of cards down. She reached for another pile, this one a little smaller. “Here, how about this? I’ll use these much easier questions instead. Think that’ll help?”

Rudy nodded his head weakly. “Yeah....sure...I suppose...”

Rudy felt embarrassed that he had forgotten about tomorrow’s test. Mr. Wilter had reminded them every day for the past week. How could it have slipped through his mind? Now he was going to get another bad grade and disappoint his parents and Mr. Wilter. He had promised his teacher and his mother and father that he would try harder to get better grades. Mr. Wilter, despite being an ally now, could not just fake the grades for him; he had to earn them.

He wouldn’t have wanted Wilter to make up the grades anyway. That would be fraud, and if Wilter were caught, he’d lose his teaching credentials and be fired, then they’d be stuck with a new teacher, and going into ChalkZone would become difficult. Plus, Rudy would rather earn the grades. Just having them given to him wouldn’t feel very good. He wanted to feel like he accomplished something.

At first, he had tried going solo and tried to raise the grades on his own. He had a difficult time. He wasn’t stupid by any means. But with all that was going on with ChalkZone, he found it hard to study on his own. So eventually, he went to Penny for help. Penny got among the highest grades in their class. Being a good friend, she agreed to help him in any way that she could.

With Penny’s help, Rudy did see some improvement in his grades. They weren’t much, but they were at least a little higher than before. Rudy did start feeling a little better about himself now that his grades were higher. He still wanted to continue improving, so at least once a week, he had Penny come over and help him with studying, whether it be just to make sure he understood everything or to prepare himself for a quiz or test the next day.

Chemistry was the one class he still had problems in. His grade was the lowest here. It had barely raised up from where it was before. Despite his difficulties, Penny still continued to willingly help him. She seemed to have a lot of patience, and she understood that chemistry was a difficult class. She herself sometimes had problems in it as well.

Rudy really wanted a passing grade for this test. He didn’t want to flunk this class like he had last year. He was determined to get at least a C. He would be satisfied with a grade that low, so long as it wasn’t a D or an F. He was grateful that Penny was so willing to help him with the test tomorrow, especially since, for him, it was short notice, all because he had forgotten about the test. With all that was going on lately, he couldn’t really feel surprised that he forgot. Neither could Penny. She admitted that she almost forgot about the test several times. Hearing this made Rudy feel a little better. He wasn’t the only one.

The flash cards did help. He still had to do some work himself. In his hands, he held a notebook and a pencil. And as Penny would ask the questions and give a list of answers, he would do the work if he had to and try to find the answer. He found that this method worked the best for him, so it was what he and Penny stuck with when studying chemistry.

Holding the notebook steady was a tad difficult with his weaker left hand. He still managed to pull it off; it just took a little longer to steady it. Turning the pages was harder, too, with his left hand. When he found it was too hard to grab the pages with his hand, he instead opted to push his fingers against the pages and turn them. But this was too problematic as well, resulting in him skipping a few pages. So he just used his right hand for that, since he still had complete control over it.

This was one of the few times where the weakness in his left hand became very noticeable. Seeing how weak his left hand got did upset Rudy, as before the incident with Cosmo, he would have no problem doing tasks like this. It was true that the damage could have been much worse and that he could still perform most tasks without problem. But sometimes, he was worried that his much weaker left hand was going to become a problem in the future. He hoped he was wrong.

When Rudy dropped his pencil and it rolled to his left side, reluctantly, he reached down with his left hand. He attempted to grab it. Unable to grip tightly due to loss of strength, the pencil kept slipping through his fingers. He grabbed it as tightly as he could, but that wasn’t enough and the pencil still dropped to the ground.

Rudy growled under his breath. He stared angrily at his left hand, his eyes looking directly at the scar caused by Mr. Cosmo. Even long after his death, even if this hybrid zoner wasn’t on the loose, Cosmo was still affecting him to this day. Cosmo still, in a way, had a grip on him, and this time, he wasn’t going to let go.

“Rudy, do you want me to help?” Penny asked. She was looking at him with sympathetic eyes. Penny understood how much this bothered him at times, and she tried to be as supportive as she could.

Rudy shook his head. “No...no I got it.” He tried his best not to sound rude. “I want to do this on my own...”

Rudy reached down for the pencil again. This time, instead of trying to grip it, he manuevered his fingers until they pushed underneath the pencil. He slowly lifted his left hand up. The pencil laid across his fingers. It took all of what was left of his finger movement to hold the pencil there. He slowly brought his left hand over and let the pencil fall onto his lap, where he immediately gripped it with his right hand.

The difference between holding the pencil in his right hand versus his left was astounding. It had always felt different, but not like this. Nowadays, it was like night and day. His left hand could barely grip the pencil, left alone be of any use to him if he needed to draw or right. But with his right, he could hold it firmly, tightly. He felt more confident with the pencil in his right hand, which was also his drawing hand. Ever since the damage in his left hand became permanent, Rudy had been more careful with his right, knowing that any injury to it would result in him becoming, for a time, defenseless in ChalkZone.

Then there was the chance that his right hand could also become permanently damaged...He shuddered at the thought. That was something he hoped would never happen. Especially with this crazed zoner on the loose. When he was up against Cosmo, most of the time he didn’t have any ability to use magic chalk. He was going to make sure that they didn’t have to suffer through that again. He was going to make sure that, this time, the magic chalk will help them right from the get go.

During the next hour, Penny helped him more with studying for the chemistry test. The new questions she chose were a little easier for him to figure out, but he was still having a hard time. He did manage to get more questions right, at least, and he felt his confidence slowly rising.

Eventually, he wanted Penny to raise the difficulty of the questions. Once he got the easier ones down and once they were more understandable to him, he wanted to try his hand at harder questions. He needed to prepare himself, and he would not be able to do that if he only answered the easiest questions. He had to challenge himself. He had to prepare the best that he could for this test. The more times he kept facing these tougher questions Penny would give him, the easier it would become to answer them.

The questions were becoming a little easier to handle now. He was getting more and more right. It was still not enough to get a higher grade than C, but it was better than nothing. He was feeling even better now, since he was becoming more and more prepared for the test. He was glad that Penny was able to come over to help him on such short notice. Without her, he would have definitely have flunked this test.

After an extra twenty minutes of studying, the two decided to stop. Their heads were starting to hurt from all that studying and they wanted to relax a little. They had put in a lot of work, so they did deserve a break.

Rudy smacked his lips together. He was feeling a little parched. He turned to Penny. “I’m going to get something to drink. Do you want to come with?”

Penny got up from the floor. She nodded her head. “Yeah. My throat’s feeling a little dry.”

The two sixteen year olds left his bedroom and headed down the stairs. They headed into the kitchen. Rudy opened up the cabinet and grabbed two glasses. He filled them both with water. He put some ice cubes in them both. He handed one to Penny.

Drinking the water did help their throats feel better. They started to walk back towards the stairs when Rudy noticed his parents sitting on the couch. He hadn’t noticed them there before. He wondered why they didn’t say anything. But then, looking at their eyes, he realized that they were too fixated on what was on TV. He smiled a little. They must be watching one of their favorite old shows or something. Or maybe his dad finally convinced his mom to watch a show about meat with him.

But his theory was proven wrong when he heard Penny gasp and grab his arm.

“R-Rudy...look...” Penny pointed at the television.

When Rudy looked, he realized it wasn’t some old show. It wasn’t a cartoon or sports. Instead, it was the news. The words ‘breaking news’ flashed across the screen, moving at a pace that was clearly trying to draw attention. On the screen was Terry, only this time, it was clear what she had to say had nothing to do with ChalkZone. And the look on her face...it was fear... What had happened?

“This is Terry Bouffant standing outside the home of Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Twenty-four hours ago, their 10 year old child, Jerry, had gone missing. The only thing that was left behind was bloodstains, but no signs of a struggle or any clues as to where he was taken could be found.”

Rudy and Penny gasped in horror. A child had gone missing? They hadn’t known about that. They weren’t paying attention to the news. And watching this, they realized they should have been listening.

And nothing found other than blood stains? That was creepy. It was like the attacker knew what he was doing, and how to leave little to no evidence behind. They didn’t know Jerry, but they feared the worst for him. And they hoped that, against the odds, he would be found, alive and okay. They felt awful for the parents too. What a terrible thing for mothers and fathers to go through...

“To make matters more serious, this isn’t the first time this has happened.” Terry said, her voice filled with solemn and alarm.

Rudy flinched, not used to hearing Terry speak this way. And the warning tone in her voice... His heart started to hurt, anticipating what she was going to say next.

“I don’t like this, Rudy...” Penny whispered as she grabbed his arm. “I wonder what is going on...”

“Maybe Terry will say something.” Rudy said as he kept his eyes on the screen.

As he looked over, he could see his parents expressions had gone quickly from curiosity to outright horror. They looked at him briefly, their eyes wide in fear, before looking back at the television. Hearing that someone lost their child to something unseen, something dangerous, something mysterious, was clearly upsetting them, for they were also parents.

“There have been multiple reports of people going missing. Jerry is the fifth victim. In this past week, four other victims have also been claimed. Rosie Williams, age 14, vanished four days ago. Teddy Bosco, only 5, disappeared three days ago. And two days ago, two victims vanished. Dean Rogers, age 16, and later on the same day, Andrew Sanchez, age 40, had gone missing. All under the same circumstances, with little clues left behind besides blood.”

The last name sent cold shivers down Rudy’s spine. He felt his friend’s hand gripping him tighter. He looked over at Penny. Her body was shaking. Her eyes were wide in disbelief and fear. That last name...it had been her father...

Although Mr. Sanchez had been trying to reconnect with his daughter, he hadn’t gotten back together with his ex-wife. They had gone their separate ways, but even his wife agreed that it was best that Penny not have any bitter thoughts about her father. So he had tried his best to spend some time with Penny. Sometimes it felt a little awkward as Penny was used to interacting with just one parent. But she still enjoyed the time she spent with her dad.

He remembered her briefly mentioning that his mom hadn’t seen him, but she didn’t think it was anything too serious. After all, her dad was quite busy and, though he moved back into town, he lived on the other side and his life was tangled with his job. He wasn’t a terrible father, though, and he still tried to make a little bit of time for Penny. He even got her some very nice Christmas presents last year.

Neither he nor Penny would ever have imagined something bad happened to him. That was the last thing that was on their minds.

But now...hearing Terry’s words, they realized how horribly wrong they were. Something bad did happen, and Penny’s father hadn’t been the only victim. Rudy wondered at first why this wasn’t mentioned before, but he realized, wanting to mentally slap himself, that him and Penny not paying attention to the news is why this sounded so shocking.

His parents might have said something to him, but he had been so focused on ChalkZone, he must not have noticed. And the only reason Mr. Wilter didn’t say anything was because he wasn’t allowed to bring in real world news into the class; only teach, and it wasn’t like they had a ton of time to talk to the man. And during lunch, when the news was on, he and Penny would be focused on each other, talking about ChalkZone and their next move they should make, or even about upcoming tests, paying little to no attention to the tv screen.

Now, more than ever, Rudy wished they had been paying attention. He looked at Penny. Tears had filled her eyes. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into a hug. He hated seeing her like this. Knowing that multiple people disappeared was bad enough. But the fact that her own dad was gone too... He could tell how hard she was taking this.

And just when he thought it couldn’t get any worse, Terry delivered the next message, her voice raised a little to emphasize her words.

“The mayor of Plainsville has issued a dire warning. Because all of the disappearances happened right here in Plainsville, the mayor strongly urges the residents of this town to keep their doors and windows shut and locked at all times. If anyone has any information on this attacker, contact the mayor. The mayor is doing all he can to try to stop this menace. And until the culprit is captured, he urges everyone to be very careful.”

The news that this has been happening right in town...all the disappearances were hear...it sent ice through Rudy’s veins. Without thinking, he held onto his friend tighter. He looked over at his parents, and they looked just as spooked as he did. Five disappearances in a few days...all under the same circumstances...

Rudy suddenly felt very unsafe. He felt vulnerable, like the walls were closing in all around him. His heart was racing, beating against his chest. The room had gotten so quiet that he heard the heartbeats from everyone else in the room. No one spoke. Everyone was quiet, staring at each other in complete and utter horror. And suddenly, everything seemed so much darker to Rudy.

He realized how late it was. It had gotten dark out. Knowing that a kidnapper was on the loose, he wasn’t sure if Penny would feel safe going out tonight, even if her mother was supposed to be picking her up. He looked down at her and said, “Do you...want to stay over here for tonight?”

Penny, trembling from the shock of the news, meakly nodded her head. “Y-Yeah...if that’s okay with your parents...”

Rudy turned his head to his parents. “Mom, dad, can she...?”

Mrs. Tabootie immediately answered, her voice filled with anxiety. “Yes, of course she can!”

Mr. Tabootie nodded his head in agreement. “I think it would be for the best. It is dark out.” His body shook a little, making it clear that the news had spooked him.

Rudy smiled, grateful for his parents’ understanding. “Thanks.”

sss

A few hours had passed since they got the news of what happened. Although it was well passed the time Penny usually slept, she found it hard to close her eyes. The news of her father’s disappearance froze her heart, filling her with dread. She had no idea something bad had been going on recently, and judging from Rudy’s reaction, neither did he.

She was happy that his parents decided to let her stay. It was a little harder convincing her mother. Mrs. Sanchez had gotten word of what had happened, and she immediately wanted Penny to come home. It took about ten minutes of talk before Penny finally got her mom to agree to let her stay. She promised she would come home immediately tomorrow.

Rudy had brought out sleeping bags for them to use. They were both frightened by the news and they didn’t want to sleep apart. His bed was a little too small for the two of them. Maybe as 10 year olds, it would have worked a little. But not as 16 year olds.

He rolled out the sleeping bags on the ground. He crawled into his while Penny did the same with hers. In an attempt to comfort Penny, Rudy had placed his arm over her and gently pulled her close. While Penny still felt scared by what was going on, she did feel safer with Rudy.

Penny bit her lip. She looked over at Rudy, nudging him gently. When she got his attention, she said, “Do you...think my dad is okay?”

Rudy winced slightly. This didn’t comfort Penny at all. “I..am sure he is okay... We’ll find him.” He said in the most reassuring voice he could muster.

Penny had a horrible thought. “What if this...hybrid zoner is behind this?”

Rudy said, “If he is...we’ll make him pay... We’ll stop him and save the people he had kidnapped. Don’t worry, Penny.”

Penny wanted to feel reassured by this. But though she smiled and acted like she was satisfied, she couldn’t fight back the dread welling up inside of her. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something terrible was going to befall her father, and perhaps...herself. She couldn’t ignore the fear that was taking a hold of her.

She did manage to get herself to lay down. She did finally manage to make herself close her eyes. She tried her best to relax. Knowing Rudy was right in front of her helped her calm down a little. And all the doors and windows had been locked, via the mayor’s orders. She knew that she was safe. If anyone tried to get in, they would know.

But as she started to doze off, she failed to hear the sound of a door being forced open. She didn’t hear the creak of the stairs as something went up them, slowly, deliberately. She didn’t hear open up slowly. She hear the individual creep up slowly upon her and her friend.

It wasn’t until she felt something brush up against her leg that she took notice that someone else was in the room. Thinking it was just Mr. or Mrs. Tabootie checking on her and Rudy, she picked up her glasses and looked up to greet them....

...only to find herself staring at an all too familiar enemy.

“Y-You...”

“Shhh...don’t wanna wake anyone, now do we...?”

As a large shadow covered the two teenagers, Penny moved backwards, her eyes wide in horror. She tried to let out a scream, but she was immediately silenced as the intruder lunged forward.

And where she once stood, a small puddle of blood formed.


	11. Disappearance

Mrs. Tabootie stood near the stove. On the skillet, she was cooking some eggs and bacon. The smell filled the kitchen, making her feel hungry just by the scent. She looked over and she saw her husband sitting in the chair, waiting patiently for his meal.

She turned her head towards the clock. It was 8:00 AM. Rudy and Penny both had to be in school soon. She wondered where they could be. She hadn’t heard a peep out of them all morning. Rudy was usually up right about now, at least on schooldays like today. She almost considered the thought of school being cancelled due to weather, but that was unlikely. There was no frost on the ground. Weather was a bit too warm for that. And she didn’t hear anything on the news about school closings.

Then there was the thought that maybe he was just oversleeping. He did that a few times in the past. And last night, he had been studying with Penny. All that work wore out the mind, and she’d understand if he overslept because of that. If that were the case, she could just go and wake them up after she was done with breakfast.

“Rudy must have really hit the hay last night.” Mr. Tabootie said as he waited for breakfast.

Mrs. Tabootie nodded in agreement. “I’m sure he’ll be down soon. I’m going to let him and Penny sleep a few minutes longer.”

“You better wake them up soon or they’ll be late for school.” Mr. Tabootie pointed out. “The sooner, the better.”

Mrs. Tabootie knew her husband was right. Rudy and Penny didn’t have a lot of time left to get ready. If she hurried, they’d have enough time to at least shower and get cleaned up. She turned her head towards the stairs. She still hadn’t heard anything from the bedroom. Rudy must have been more tired than she thought.

She turned to her husband. “Watch the eggs and bacon, will you? I’m going to go wake them up.”

“Sure thing, dear.” Mr. Tabootie took position by the stove. Once in a while, he’d push the scrambled eggs or a piece of bacon with the spatula.

Mrs. Tabootie went towards the stairs. But then she paused and noticed something she hadn’t before. She turned her head towards the door. It seemed fine at first, but then she noticed something out of place about it. She moved towards it slowly, her eyes locked on the door handle.

When she got close enough, she realized the door hadn’t been shut all the way. Her eyes widened at this revelation. Unless her husband went out and forgot to grab something....something was wrong. She was certain that she had shut the door all the way, and even locked it like the mayor said. She moved back into the kitchen, staring at her husband intently.

“What is it?” Mr. Tabootie frowned slightly in concern, noticing his wife’s distress.

“Did you...please tell me you went outside this morning...” Mrs. Tabootie begged, her voice very shakey. She hoped it wasn’t true...no it couldn’t be true...

Mr. Tabootie stared at her. His own eyes were widening like saucers. “N-No...”

It felt like a bomb went off inside the woman. Her body shook violently. She shook her head slowly, not wanting to believe it. She looked up the stairs. She waited there for a few seconds, hoping, praying, that Rudy was going to come down the steps any minute. When a minute passed, she started to get desperate.

“Rudy! Come down!” She called out. Her breathing started to quicken when she got no response from her son. “Penny! You there?!” Same thing, no reply. Her heart started to race.

She thought she heard her husband call to her in worry. She ignored him. Her mind was focused towards where Rudy’s room was. Why wasn’t he coming out? Wouldn’t he have heard her? Why was the door open? Horrible thoughts swam through her mind. There was only one explanation she could think of....and it was one she hoped wasn’t true.

She raced up the stairs as fast as she could. She went over to where Rudy’s room was. She didn’t bother knocking on the door. She pushed the door open, not being closed all the way to begin with, and went into the room. Her eyes widened in horror at what she saw. She looked around the room, her breathing becoming very fast. She put a hand on her chest and backed away, her body trembling.

She let out a scream.

“No!”

sss

Mr. Wilter sat down in his chair, glancing up at the clock. He looked over at his classroom. He had just done role call and both Rudy and Penny were absent. That was strange because he hadn’t gotten a call from their parents saying they were going to be gone. He guessed they were just running late. He would give them an extra few minutes, but if they didn’t show up, he’d have to start the test without them.

He pulled open the drawer and pulled out the test papers he had made copies of. He sat them on his desk. Although the classroom remained largely quiet, he could make out the groans of students not looking forward to the test. He did wish that they’d be a little more enthusiastic about this. He was preparing them for a better life outside of school. They could at least be more appreciative.

Oh well, if they don’t want to use his education, that was their faults. At least he can say he tried with them. He was glad that at least a few students appreciated his efforts, like Rudy and Penny. After he told them the truth, they trusted him even more and were more willing to talk to him. Rudy had shown some improvement in his grades, and he felt happy for the boy.

When Rudy and Penny still didn’t show up after five minutes, he began wonder if something was up. Why hadn’t their parents called the school to let them know they were going to be absent? Any other time they were sick, he would have gotten a call from their parents, where the situation was explained and he could set aside homework for Rudy and Penny to complete when they got back.

He couldn’t keep stalling like this. Though the students didn’t mind not having to do the test, he couldn’t do a whole class with him doing nothing but sit around. He got up from his seat, grabbed the pile of papers, and went down each aisle.

“You all have one hour to get this test done. When you are finished, place your paper on my desk.”

Once Mr. Wilter was done handing out the papers, the door opened up behind him. He turned around and saw that it was the principal.

“Do you need something, sir?” Mr. Wilter asked.

The principal nodded his head. “Come with me to the office. There’s someone who wants to speak to you on the phone.”

Mr. Wilter wondered if it was Rudy’s parents or Penny’s mother. He looked back at the class. He waved a hand and said, “Get started everyone! I will be back later!”

Mr. Wilter followed the principal down the halls. They headed towards the principa’s office. He went in and moved towards the desk where one of the secretaries was waiting for him. She waved her hand at him to come forward. She didn’t say anything as she handed him the phone.

He stared at the phone for a few seconds. He began to get a feeling of dread. Somehow..he could sense that something was wrong, and he hadn’t even began chatting yet.

“H-Hello..?” He asked hesitantly.

On the other line, he heard a shrill voice coming from Mrs. Tabootie. She sounded horrified and very worried. He had never heard her sound this upset before. It made him that much more worried that something was terribly wrong.

When she asked him, no...pleaded with him, that Rudy and Penny left for school early, Mr. Wilter sucked in a breath. “I’m...sorry...He hasn’t been here. He’s..not sick at home?”

Mrs. Tabootie freaked out immediately and he heard her start to cry. She mentioned something like ‘it’s true’ over and over again, and ‘I didn’t imagine it’. He had no idea what she was talking about, but in her state, he wasn’t sure if he was going to get more out of her.

Luckily, it seemed Mr. Tabootie read his mind. He took the phone from his wife and he explained to Mr. Wilter what they had found. When the man finished explaining, Mr. Wilter’s eyes widened in horror.

“What?!” He cried in disbelief.

Rudy and Penny were...missing...? The thought alone was enough to upset Mr. Wilter, but the fact that they had disappeared under the same circumstances as the five other people from Plainsville... He couldn’t believe it. Rudy and Penny never did anything to deserve this.

His thoughts went to Draow. He remembered how Rudy told him, a short time ago, how an intruder had freed Draow. He wondered if they could be involved in this. It made sense. Draow would want revenge on all of them for what they did to Mr. Cosmo. He wouldn’t put it past Draow to grab Rudy and Penny in the night and make off with them. Though how he managed to do that without being caught was beyond him. And it made Draow even more terrifying.

He thanked Mr. Tabootie for his help and hung up the phone. He walked back towards his classroom, his thoughts filling his head. He had to find a way to let Snap know about what happened. He had no access to the real world on his own, so he would be left in the dark on what happened, exactly, to Rudy and Penny. Somehow, he had to find a way to tell him.

He wouldn’t be able to tell him during class. The students would wonder what he was writing and why he would erase it so fast. He would need to find another time to do it. And unfortunately, there was only one other time of the day he could contact Snap.

And that was a couple hours after school.

sss

Snap paced around underneath where Rudy’s bedroom portal would be. He occassionally would stop and look up. He began to wonder what was keeping Rudy and Penny. They said they would be here, and if they were going to be late, they could have found a way to contact him. With Mr. Wilter on their side now, it wasn’t much of a stretch to ask him.

“Come on...where are they...?” He grumbled to himself. “They should have been here two hours ago!”

He had been waiting by the portal for a couple of hours, just in case they came in early. When they hadn’t arrived in that time frame, he wasn’t too concerned. It was expected. And when they still didn’t show up around 3:00 PM like Rudy said, again he wasn’t too worried. Rudy and Penny weren’t always punctual. Things get in the way that can slow them down.

But as the first hour passed, Snap did start getting a little worried. Those two had never been this late before. Well okay there was the time that they were going to play chinese chalkers and they were an hour late. But that was the only time he recalled them being very late.

Since they were late one time before like this, Snap tried to relax. Maybe something happened on their way home and they weren’t able to contact him. So he paced around some more, glancing up to see if Rudy or Penny opened up a portal yet. He guessed that they might have had to stay after school for something, or maybe their parents dragged them somewhere and Rudy didn’t have his portable chalkboard handy.

Rudy usually had his portal chalkboard with him, but he understood that the boy couldn’t always bring the chalkboard with him. So it wouldn’t surprise him if Rudy couldn’t contact him for that reason. As soon as Rudy came into ChalkZone, he knew that he would explain to Snap why they were running late. This is what happened any time where Rudy and Penny were a little late getting into ChalkZone.

But then the second hour game. By now, Snap was getting very worried. They had never been this late before. An hour, yes. But two hours, and no word from them? He had a sickening feeling welling up in his stomach. He tried to push it away. He didn’t want to jump to any conclusions. After all, they might just still be stuck somewhere, unable to contact him until later on.

Still, the feeling wouldn’t go away completely. Something was nagging at Snap, telling him something had gone wrong. He didn’t know what it could be. He stopped pacing and glanced back up. Still no sign of Rudy or Penny. He let out a sigh.

“Where are those two?” Snap asked to himself. He sat down on the ground, crossing his legs. He again glanced upwards, his expression shifting to a worried one. “I thought Rudy said he was going to be here at 3:00 PM. It’s 5:00 now I’m sure...”

Snap began to wonder if there had been a terrible accident. He flinched at the thought of this. If something like that happened, he definitely wouldn’t find out until much later, unless Mr. Wilter somehow gets him the message. He shuddered as he imagined his two friends crossing the street, only to get struck by a car. He shivered harder, picturing them being taken to the emergency room, their bodies battered and bruised.

He soon calmed himself down. No, it couldn’t be that serious. Mr. Wilter would have definitely contacted him, somehow, if that were the case. If something as serious as a car accident happened to Rudy and Penny, Mr. Wilter wouldn’t hesitate to get a message out to him.

So whatever was going on couldn’t be too serious. Snap felt his heart rate slow down to normal as he told himself this. He glanced up at the portal again. He wondered why they hadn’t showed up yet. If it wasn’t an accident of any kind, what else could have slowed them down? Parents, perhaps... He wouldn’t be surprised if Rudy and Penny’s parents wanted to do something with them. Bonding and all. It happened from time to time.

As another half hour passed, and still no sign of Rudy or Penny, Snap got up off the ground. He was getting a little hungry. Perhaps he should go grab something to eat. He quickly wrote a note for Rudy and Penny when they came, letting them know where he was going to be if they came when he was still gone.

He hadn’t eaten any lunch yet. He had planned to when Rudy and Penny came. He was saving his appetite. But since they hadn’t come yet, he would have to settle for dinner. Missing a meal wouldn’t kill anyone. He began to walk towards the direction of town. There was a great restaurant he loved going to from time to time. He had wanted to take Rudy and Penny there. Even though they can’t eat chalk food or drink chalk water, he thought they might enjoy the music they play there.

On the way towards the restaurant, he almost had a run-in with Blocky. He had been running down the streets, waving his arms to get Snap’s attention. Snap managed to stop himself from colliding with the block zoner and took a step back.

“Snap! Come with me!” Blocky called to him.

Snap stared at Blocky for a second. His tone of voice sounded urgent. He thought about what might have upset Blocky. Maybe he was being chased by that large chocolate bunny mother again, trying to forcefeed him some chocolate milk. Blocky did get sick from drinking too much chocolate milk one time, so he wouldn’t down he’d sound desperate if she had come back for him again.

Snap took a step towards Blocky. He reached out with a hand and gestured for the zoner to calm down. “Hey, easy there. What’s all the rush about?”

Blocky immediately grabbed Snap with one of his small hands and started to drag him with. “Come with me now!”

Snap’s heels pushed against the ground as he tried to stop Blocky from pulling him. He didn’t look it, but Blocky can be strong when he wants to be. And Snap found himself helpless to stop him. He had no choice but to relax and follow him willingly.

Blocky pulled on him pretty hard, yanking him forward a few times. He swiftly quickened his pace, forcing Snap to start running unless he wanted to get scraped over the concrete. He looked out ahead to see where the zoner was taking him. The area looked a little familiar, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it just yet. Blocky continued to pull in that direction, out of the city and into a lush part of ChalkZone.

When Blocky finally released him, Snap put his hands on his knees, bending over and breathing hard. He hadn’t run that fast for that long for a while. He wiped his head, feeling sweat dripping down from his face. As he was getting his breath back, he took a look around where they were.

At first, he did not recognize this area. Yet something about it seemed familiar to him. As time passed, and he thought long and hard about this place, he suddenly remembered what it was.

He remembered the time that Rudy and Penny first discovered night zone, where zoners go to sleep. They had been trying to get to the school. He had tried to show he was capable of locating the right chalkboard, but only ended up taking them to...well anywhere but the school, so Penny had to step in.

She had managed to find a chalkboard that when into the school, but it was apparently the gym. A bit of a miscalculation, but it was still the school. And if Snap recalled correctly, this had been the spot where Penny told Rudy to draw a portal. Even though it had been a bit of the wrong place, the girl’s skills at finding the right portal improved greatly and they almost never ran into an issue like that before.

He had to wonder, though. Why would Blocky drag him here? His only thought was that Rudy and Penny were going to send him a message. But why here? Why with the gym’s chalkboard? Why not back where the classroom portal would have been? If he recalled what Penny said correctly, it wasn’t that far from here. Maybe he should go there and...

“Mr. Wilter wanted to give you a message.” Blocky said, cutting Snap from his thoughts. He picked up a note and gave it to Snap. “I’m sorry I didn’t show you when I arrived. But I had to get you here, and fast.”

Snap looked at the note. It was indeed from Mr. Wilter. It just told him to meet him here at a certain time, and to prepare for an important message. Mr. Wilter must have wrote the message a while ago, maybe an hour, but because of the other teachers, he didn’t have time to write a full on message.

Snap waited anxiously for the rest of the message. Mr. Wilter might be telling him what happened to Rudy and Penny. Maybe he was going to tell them that they were just busy with something, whether it be with homework or parents, and just couldn’t come with. But there was a worried side of him that Mr. Wilter was going to bring him bad news. He tried to fight off the feeling of dread as he waited for the teacher to erase the whole message.

Nothing happened to Rudy and Penny. They were just fine. He kept telling himself that. They were all right and they just weren’t able to come on time. Everything was going to be okay. They would eventually arrive in ChalkZone and they could continue their investigation of this hybrid zoner.

But as he waited for Mr. Wilter, he began to get more and more worried for the two teenagers. He began to imagine the worst possible, horrific things happening to them. His body shivered for a second before he managed to force himself to stop. No, he couldn’t jump to conclusions. He couldn’t allow himself to think the worst when he didn’t even know what happened.

And yet, them being so late...

No, he couldn’t think like that. He shook his head, getting those thoughts out of his mind. Mr. Wilter would explain everything. He would put his mind at ease and tell them that Rudy and Penny decided to stay after school and just hadn’t been able to contact him. Yeah, that was it. That’s all that was going on.

He kept telling himself that over and over again.

Then the moment came. He saw the faint, brief glow, indicating that something was about to materialize into ChalkZone. Out came another message, like the one Blocky gave him, only this one was larger. It floated down towards him. Snap reached up, trying to grab it. After a couple of failed tries, he managed to snatch it before it got away.

Snap grabbed the two ends of the paper and stretched it out. At first, he couldn’t read it. Then he realized he was holding it on its side. He flipped it around quickly, and stared at what was written on the piece of paper.

It read:

“Snap,

Rudy and Penny have gone missing. Penny had stayed the night over at Rudy’s. Mr. and Mrs. Tabootie found them gone the next day. Others before them have vanished. No trace to be found. It might be linked to Draow. Search around ChalkZone for clues. I suspect that is where they have been taken.

Best of luck, Wilter”

Snap’s mind went numb. His body started to shake. He stared at the message, rubbing his eyes and doublechecking, hoping that it was just some sick joke. But the message never changed. He clenched his teeth as he fought back tears.

No...no this couldn’t be happening, no... He crumbled up the piece of paper and threw it into the ground. Blocky looked at him sympathetically. He went over and placed a hand on Snap’s back.

“We will find them.” Blocky said, trying his best to reassure Snap.

Snap nodded his head rigidly. “Yeah...I know...” He fell silent after that.


	12. Bloodstains On The Wall

Snap stared numbly at the piece of paper he got from Wilter. Over and over again, he read the message. He kept hoping that he missed something, that he was just misinterpreting what it said. But now, there was no way to mistake this message. There was no doubt what it was saying.

Rudy and Penny were in grave danger.

He couldn’t believe it. He just couldn’t believe it. The last time he had seen them, they had been fine. There was no indication they were in immediate danger. Sure, they knew there was possible danger for them, but they thought that wouldn’t come until later. There had been no signs of Draow or this intruder. There were no signs of them making a move. They had just simply disappeared. And now, so have his friends...

And what was worse is that he had no idea where he was going to go to find them. He didn’t know where to start. Mr. Wilter says they may be in ChalkZone, but..how? Rudy was the one with the magic chalk usually and he wouldn’t leave a portal open all night long. Penny sometimes had a piece, but like Rudy, she wouldn’t do something so stupid as to keep a portal unattended for so many hours. And then there was Mr. Wilter. His use of magic chalk was even less than that of Penny’s, and he understood the importance of keeping ChalkZone a secret. Surely he wouldn’t forget to erase any portal he created.

This lead to Snap consider that, whatever happened, it was related to the real world only. Maybe some thug decided to break in and take his friends. Or maybe they left on their own accord for whatever reason and just never came back.

But if five others disappeared like them, the only real world possibility Snap could think of was a serial killer. His heart started to pound as he considered that thought. He knew that anyone, regardless of they are from the real world or ChalkZone, was capable of cruelty, and it wouldn’t be that much of a stretch to believe that a serial killer went into Plainsville and started to slaughter people. The idea frightened him because, if that were the case, he’d never see Rudy or Penny again...

The possibility of whatever happening being real world only hung heavily over Snap’s mind. It was the only explanation he could think of that made sense. He couldn’t fathom how Draow or this intruder could have gotten into the real world in the first place. He didn’t know how Mr. Wilter could think such a thing. There was no way there was an open portal somewhere...unless there was another creator he was unaware of. But that was hard to believe. He would have heard something by now if there was another creator loose in ChalkZone.

Snap felt so helpless. He didn’t know what he should do, or what he could even do. He might have a better idea of what happened if he could get into the real world, but he could only do that if Rudy or Penny were with him. They could use the magic chalk. Not him. He was stuck in ChalkZone unless Mr. Wilter drew a portal for him.

But why would Mr. Wilter do that? His message clearly indicated he wanted him searching around ChalkZone. He wouldn’t suddenly drew a portal for him if that were the case. If he had intended on doing that, he’d left a message regarding that. And there was no way Snap could communicate back to him and ask him to do that. The only thing he could do was look around ChalkZone, but he didn’t know exactly where to go first.

There had to be something he could do. Something he was overlooking or missing. He thought about what happened recently, with the escape of Draow. He thought about the scene of the crime, the claw marks, the blood, the fact that two zoners were murdered by this intruder.

Then he thought about the hole in the wall. He had overheard the investigator say that the hole looked like something Rudy could have drawn with his magic chalk. This did indicate the presence of a creator, but Snap already ruled that out. Again, he could have heard something about it. This lead to the same conclusion he was sure Rudy had.

And that was that this particular magic chalk could be used by zoners...

Admittingly, Snap was almost...enchanted by the idea. He had always wondered what it was like to wield the magic chalk. He thought about what it meant to be able to create anything in midair, and have it materialize right before him. Almost anything was possible with the magic chalk. No matter how convoluted the idea, how matter how ridiculous it may sound, the magic chalk made it possible.

The only way to know for certain is if he got a closer look at this hole. He was used to seeing portals in ChalkZone. Out of all the zoners, he uses them the most. He was familiar with how the edges feel. It was hard to describe the texture. It was kinda chalky, but kinda not. A sensation that could only be created by a piece of magic chalk. If he got a close look at this hole, he would be able to tell if it had been created by magic chalk or not.

That seemed to be the best move for him. And if he could prove that the hole had been created by magic chalk, then that did reopen the possibility of Rudy and Penny being kidnapped by Draow. If that bat wolf had found a way to get to his friends, there was no doubt in Snap’s mind that the fiend would use that opportunity.

He needed to report to Skrawl anyway of what had happened. He wasn’t sure how the jellybean was going to take it. Years ago, he would have just smiled and claimed victory. But now that they were pretty much friends, he would certainly not be very happy with their disappearance. He wondered if he would have a ‘I told you so’ moment, where he would rant to Snap about how he knew it was a bad idea for Rudy and Penny to be involved with the case.

But even if he did that, Skrawl wouldn’t dwell on it too long. Oh sure, he’d be angry, furious even, but he would understand dwelling on it too long wouldn’t help them at all. He wouldn’t waste so much time yelling. Heck, he might not even bother yelling at Snap, and instead he would focus on spreading out the search party to locate the intruder and Draow.

And even if Skrawl did yell at him, even if Skrawl decided to ran to him on how he should have kept the trio off the case and let him do all the work, it wasn’t like it was going to stop Snap. Skrawl knew by now that he couldn’t keep them from doing what they felt was right. Snap sometimes wondered if Skrawl really did know this and was just ignoring it, or if he was truly blatantly unaware.

His mind went back to Rudy and Penny. He had no idea what their condition currently was. He didn’t know if they were hurt, if they were battered, if they were torn up, or even if they were still alive at all. The thought frightened him. It was terrifying not knowing exactly what happened to his friends. He only knew that something terrible happened and now they were both gone. Even if he knew for certain Draow took them, that was no indication on just what exactly happened with Rudy and Penny.

He knew Draow wanted revenge, but he didn’t know exactly what he had planned to do with them. Draow could have outright killed his friends. A terrible thought, but, as much as he hated to admit it, that was a possibility. If the bat wolf hated them that much, it would make sense he’d kill them off as quickly as possible.

But then, he had been Mr. Cosmo’s right hand ‘man’ pretty much, and they had some similarities in personality, as he found out the hard way when he had been yanked from the hospital.

When they were up in the air, after Tsere had tried to get him back, Mr. Cosmo had decided that he got tired of the chase and had Draow drop him, a blatant attempt to murder him. In that moment, Snap realized that he had been wrong about Draow. He thought he was just a terrifying ‘beast of burden’ more or less, a pet that followed Mr. Cosmo’s orders loyally because he had been trained that way. Nothing before gave him a clear indication that he was more than what he appeared.

And then he had spoken. As soon as words came out of his muzzle, Snap knew that Draow had been more like Cosmo than he ever imagined. Because Draow, like Cosmo, had decieved them. He had played them all for fools, tricking them that he was dumber than he really was. He revealed, in the very first line he ever spoke, that he was capable of scheming and cruel planning just as much as Mr. Cosmo.

Because Draow enjoyed inflicting pain on others as much as Mr. Cosmo, Snap realized that it was more likely that Draow would torment Rudy and Penny rather than kill them outright. This wasn’t too much better. He shuddered at the thought of his friends being tortured. It hit home for him; he had been tortured himself. He wouldn’t want anyone to go through that. But at the same time, if Draow planned on keeping them alive for a while, that did give him some time to save them.

As much as he was still shaken up by what happened, even though he was still filled with sorrow knowing that his friends were in danger and he had no idea where they were, he knew he couldn’t just stand around. He had to take action.

That’s what Blocky had done. He was going through ChalkZone, informing as many citizens as he could, about Rudy and Penny’s disappearance. He had gone in the opposite direction of the jail, so he knew he did not get to Skrawl yet. But he knew, by now, he had told a lot of zoners already of what had happened. Snap hoped that some of them would be willing to help him find his friends. He may need all the help that he could get.

Snap looked in the direction where Skrawl’s jail was. He sucked in a deep breath. He knew what he had to do next.

“I promise you, Bucko...Buckette...” Snap whispered. His fists shook as sadness and anger started to overtake him. Sadness of what happened....anger at whoever was the culprit. “I will find you...”

With that, he made his way over to Skrawl’s jail.

sss

“What?!”

Skrawl’s voice rumbled through the prison. Most of the wardens nearby immediately fled away from him, all knowing how Skrawl can be if he recieves bad news such as this. The few wardens that dared to stay behind pressed their backs at the wall, staring at Skrawl, expecting him to strike out in rage.

Snap stood in place, staring up at the jellybean, who looked down at him furiously. This didn’t faze him. With what he went through when he found out Rudy and Penny were gone...this was nothing. Besides, it wasn’t like Skrawl was mad at him in particular. He was mad that the search party had failed to nab Draow and this intruder before something bad had happened.

“Are you sure?!” Skrawl demanded. He had lowered his head, putting it close to Snap’s.

To the wardens, this was a clearly threatening move. Skrawl was cleary very angry, and when he wants to be intimidating, he knows a few ways of how to do so. And this was one of them. But to Snap, it didn’t bother him that much. His mind was still clouded from the news, filled with so much sorrow and worry. He barely reacted to Skrawl’s move.

Snap stared at Skrawl and said in a soft voice, “Yes. Mr. Wilter told me of what happened... And he believes Draow played a role in their disappearance.”

Skrawl growled. “And you say that other humans have vanished too? Not just them?”

Snap nodded his head. “That is what Mr. Wilter said. He didn’t say how many...” Snap made a quick gesture with his hands to emphasize. “...but the fact is...Rudy and Penny aren’t the only victims. And I know that they wouldn’t leave a portal open... That leaves just one possibility...”

His face going blank, Skrawl let this sink in. He stared at Snap, understanding clearly showing through his blank expression. Snap knew that the jellybean understood exactly what he was implying. A thought that was unheard of, and, given the circumstances now, terrifying.

“He can use magic chalk...” Skrawl said, his voice barely audible. Shock had taken over his mind in that moment. “Somehow...he has found a way to use magic chalk...” He spoke slowly, as if trying to let it all sink in for him.

The idea of a zoner using magic chalk...

On the one hand, it was fascinating. The ability to create anything in midair... Snap had wondered what that felt like. He had wondered what it was like for Rudy to use the magic chalk and create things. Yet he knew that the magic chalk could easily be misused. The ability to create anything can easily go both ways... And in this case, it was going far in the opposite direction than Rudy would have used it for.

Rudy only used the magic chalk for good. He wanted to help people, and that is what he did. He never used the chalk to deliberately harm anyone. Sure, there was the black chalk, from what he was told, but Rudy was never in control of himself; the black chalk used him. So he didn’t count that. Even against Mr. Cosmo, he had apparently not used lethal force or been overly violent with the man, no matter how much he deserved it. And even in the end, Cosmo caused his own death, not Rudy.

But now here was another possible creator, but a zoner this time, and he was clearly using the magic chalk to do harm. He was using it to gain access to the real world, so he could kidnap unsuspecting humans for some diabolical reason. He must have set up a portal somewhere. He didn’t know where it could be. He would have seen it...unless it was an invisible portal like Mr. Cosmo had...

He was interrupted from his thoughts when he heard Skrawl scream loudly into the air, his hands clutched into fists. Snap took a step backwards, his eyes widening slightly. He hadn’t expected him to scream like that. Neither did the remaining wardens, who immediately fled the area to join the others that went away earlier.

Skrawl glared down at Snap. He looked at first like he was going to strike him out of anger, but instead, he turned around and walked away. He folded his arms behind his back and stood in the middle of the room. He looked like he was trying to think of something, perhaps the next course of action. Perhaps he was thinking about what they should do, now that the idea of a zoner being able to use magic chalk was a real possibility.

Skrawl looked over at the hole in the wall, the one that was still there. It was only kept there because it was evidence. He had set up some sensor bars around the spot as a way to ‘cover’ it up, so that no more intruders could get in or prisoners could get out using that hole. He sucked on his lip, his expression thoughtful. He looked down at Snap.

“You’re able to recognize creator handiwork, aren’t you?” Skrawl asked.

Snap nodded his head. “We’re all technically ‘creator handiwork’, but I take it you mean I can tell if damage was done by a zoner or by a creator.”

Skrawl narrowed his eyes and growled, “Yes...yes that’s exactly what I mean.” He pointed his finger towards the hole. “Take a look at it, and tell me. You’ve hung around chalk boy the most, so I’m sure you, out of all zoners, could tell if this was done by magic chalk or not.”

As Snap approached the hole, Skrawl turned the beams off. Snap continued to walk closer to the hole, and then, finally, he was able to place his hand on it gently. He felt the edges, getting an idea on the shape, any grooves, any imperfections. He stared at the hole, studying how it was shaped, if there was anything left on it, anything that would help with identifying what made this hole.

After a few seconds, Snap stared back at Skrawl. His eyes widened big. Shock and fear showed clearly on his face. He gave a rigid nod.

“Yeah...it’s magic chalk alright...” He whispered, prompting a gasp of surprise from the jellybean.

sss

Snap was running as fast he could. His feet pounded on the ground. His breath quickened. His throat started to get a little dry. His mind was racing as fast as his feet, trying to digest what he had just been told. He couldn’t believe it. He had to see this for himself.

After he had told Skrawl about the hole definitely being of magic chalk origin, Rapsheeba had come rushing in. She looked like she was in distress, her eyes wide in panic. Something was troubling her. When Snap and Skrawl tried to ask her what was wrong, Rapsheeba just said to come with her and grabbed Snap. She had dragged him out of the jail and had him run with her.

Snap hadn’t expected Rapsheeba to show up like that. He had thought she was busy with her next concert. He wondered what had caught her eye that scared her so much that she would practically drag him out with her.

But as they got close to where she wanted to take him, something seemed out of place... Something that he felt was the reason for her being so scared.

He couldn’t tell what it was at first. He saw something, but at the angle he was at, he couldn’t really understand just what he was looking at. It wasn’t until he got closer that it started to look more familiar to him. That familiar feeling began to get eerie as he started to understand just what this was. And was they got within inches of it, his heart started to race.

It was a portal... And clearly not one drawn by Rudy or Penny. The edges had a different coloration to them. The portals Rudy and Penny draw had either no outline, or it was black, at least from ChalkZone’s side. If it had an outline in the real world, it would be white. The only time he remembered the outline being a different color was when Reggie had the red chalk, so the outline was, obviously, red.

This portal had a blue outline.

Blue chalk? He hadn’t heard of it before. He’d seen it used once in Biclops’s flashback he showed him shortly after Rudy first discovered ChalkZone, but it didn’t seem like it had any special powers of its own. Then again, they had seen the black chalk being used and they thought it wasn’t a big concern...

Snap stared at the blue edged portal. It was his ticket into the real world. If he used this portal to get to the other side, he could find out more of what happened to his friends. He was a little scared. He had no idea where the portal led to. He didn’t have Penny with him to guide him. He didn’t have Rudy to help him. He was completely on his own. He hoped that his few visits into the real world were enough to help him find Rudy’s home.

As he started to go through the portal, Rapsheeba grabbed his arm and pulled him back. “What are you doing? You don’t know where this portal leads to!”

“I know, queenie.” Snap looked at her. He understood why she was so worried. The last time a mysterious portal appeared, Mr. Cosmo had been kidnapping zoners.... He looked back at the portal. “But Rudy and Penny are in trouble... I have to see what happened to them.”

Rapsheeba’s eyes widened. “They’re in trouble?”

Snap nodded his head slowly. “Yeah. Mr. Wilter said they..disappeared. And other humans vanished as well.” He closed his eyes, trying to fight back the tears that started form. “I...I need to go Bucko’s house and see for myself...maybe find some clue as to what happened...”

Snap started to go through the portal. He noticed Rapsheeba coming towards him. He stopped himself and held up a hand to Rapsheeba.

“No, Queen Rapsheeba. Stay here. I know the real world more than you. If something happened to you...I wouldn’t forgive myself...” Snap said, his eyes narrowed in determination. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

Rapsheeba looked reluctant to let Snap go on his own. But she understood where he was coming from and she gave a nod. “Okay. Best of luck, Snap. I’ll wait for you here.”

Snap nodded his head. “See you around, queenie.”

With that, Snap went through the portal.

sss

Snap walked down the street. He didn’t have much of a hard time. It hadn’t rained recently, which was good, so the ground was dry. He didn’t see any sources of real world water anywhere, so he knew he was safe just walking down the street. He did stay off the grass, though. He could see some dew on them. Unless he wanted some tiny painful holes in his feet, he avoided the grass like no tomorrow.

The portal had opened up into an abandoned building deep in town. It made sense, Snap realized. The hybrid zoner would have wanted to open up a portal in some place where no one would ever go. A building that was falling apart and thus was a safety hazard for anyone that dared live in it seemed like a great idea. There were no plans to tear this building down, or at least, no indication it was going to be torn down. With little to no humans coming in this area, it was no wonder no one would have noticed a strange opening on a dusty old chalkboard.

When Snap had exited the building, he was overwhelmed by all the sights and sounds. He felt confused and lost. It wasn’t because he wasn’t used to a city. He had been in plenty of those in ChalkZone. But real world cities were different, and completely unfamiliar to him. The cars rushing by him, people honking and yelling at each other, the lights flashing, everything seemed so different to him because it was real world, not ChalkZone.

He had to ask directions to find Rudy’s place. He only remembered the street name, which he had a glimpse of after Boorat through him out of the window. Luckily, the first person he asked, a woman pushing her baby in a stroller, was able to give him directions to said street. Snap thanked her and took off as fast as he could.

He had ran most of the way there, determined to get to Rudy’s house as soon as he could. But as he came onto the street, he was getting really tired. His heart pounded against his chest and he was very thirsty. He wiped the sweat from his forehead. He realized he had to slow down, so he began to walk the rest of the way. Despite his urges to keep running, he knew he would end up collapsing on the ground unconscious if he continued to run.

And today was not a good idea to do that. He had a feeling that he would see Terry somewhere near Rudy’s place. She had been promoted to bigger news since she stopped trying to reveal ChalkZone. He had his doubts that she gave up completely; she was just biding her time. He knew that if he collapsed nearby and she saw him, she would take him again and try again to reveal ChalkZone. He couldn’t allow that to happen.

Soon, Rudy’s house was in view. He walked a little faster. When he got much closer, he froze and hid in the bushes. Just as he thought, Terry was there. She was with her cameraman and was talking with Rudy’s parents, asking them questions on what had happened during Rudy and Penny’s disappearance. Mr. and Mrs. Tabootie were joined by Penny’s mother. All three looked very distraught and upset.

Snap stared at them sympathetically. He knew how hard it must be for them, to know that their children were missing but not being able to figure out where they were. Snap wanted to rush out and tell them where he thinks they might be. He wanted to inform them of what was going on in ChalkZone. He wanted to do something to help them.

...yet he knew that would have been a horrible idea. He didn’t know how Rudy’s parents or Penny’s mom would react to ChalkZone. He didn’t know if they would think ChalkZone was a horrible place and try to do something about it. He had no idea if they would go as far as bring in the government to investigate. And from there, it would all just go downhill...

And Terry would just make things worse. If he rushed out and said something about ChalkZone, she would do whatever she could to get him to reveal more information. She would turn the camera on him and box him in a corner, trying to make him speak. She would be even more determined to learn more if she knew that the disappearances lately could have been ChalkZone related.

Snap snuck around them. Terry was so focused on talking to the distressed parents to really notice him. He moved around to the side. He turned his head up, looking around for Rudy’s window. It took him a second to realize Rudy’s window was in the front of the house. He’d have to find another way in.

He saw that one of the windows in the back was open. Snap started to climb up. It wasn’t easy to get up there, but his two dimensional powers did come in handy. He flattened himself against the house’s surface and started to snake his way up towards the window. He still had to be very careful; it took all his strength to keep himself clung against the surface, and his whole body was aching as he yanked himself up. Moving along the blanks didn’t feel good, and he felt himself get scraped a little.

Snap went through the window. He realized it was the bathroom window. He looked around, trying to keep an eye out for real world water. He saw a small puddle on the ground. Trembling, he moved around it slowly, never taking his eyes off of it. When he noticed he almost touched the wet counter, he froze in fear.

He still never fully got over what Mr. Cosmo did to him with real world water. He tried to pretend he was okay. If Rudy or Penny said something, he would hide it. He didn’t want them to worry, and there was really almost never a case where he’d have to get close to real world water.

He had never feared real world water before until that incident. The sight of the water on the ground and on the counter he almost touched sent shockwaves through his body. It brought back the horrible memories of the water cutting into his head, where the mind control device was violently pushed into. It made him remember how Mr. Cosmo almost had him murdered with water, and how he had burned and tormented him with vinegar, which was much worse than water.

Snap managed to calm himself enough to get out of the bathroom. He gave a quick shudder, and he walked down the hall. He made sure to be very quiet. The last thing he wanted to do was alert Rudy’s parents, and then have them believe he was the kidnapper. He wasn’t sure how well he could defend himself. Ironically, Terry might defend him as she knows that he is Rudy’s best friend. Or she might just use that as an excuse to gave him come with her.

Snap got close to Rudy’s door. It was partially open. His heart started to clench as he got closer. Dread filled his chest, his body shaking. Each step, he felt worse and worse. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to see what was behind the door. Yet he had to. He had to know what happened to his friends.

When he got to the door, he put his gloved hand on it. He hesitated for a moment. He sucked in a deep breath, trying to mentally prepare himself for what he might see. He pushed the door open gently, not wanting it to bang and alert the people outside. And as the door fully opened, Snap looked around, his eyes widening in absolute horror.

There were claw marks on the ground, deep into the wood. Rudy’s bed had suffered some damage. There were a few thick nicks in it, like something banged up against it. Some items had been dropped on the ground. He could see what looked to be sleeping bags, but they were ripped to shreds, pieces all over the ground.

But that wasn’t what made him freeze in terror. No, it was the blood... Oh man the blood... It was everywhere. The walls, the floor, even a bit on the ceiling. It looked like a scene straight out of a horror movie or game. Most of the blood was on the sleeping bags, where he knew his friends were. The blood was darkest here, almost blood. The blood on the walls and ceiling were brighter red by comparison.

It...it looked like an absolute massacre... It was like someone came in and butchered his friends... He looked at the blood with wide eyes, his body trembling, his mind racing. His breathing became ragged. He didn’t want to believe they could be dead...

What terrified him even more was the fact that...he didn’t even know if they were alive... There were no remains of them to be found. Not even a single strand of hair or a torn piece of clothing. The only thing was blood. Rudy and Penny’s blood... He couldn’t fathom what could have happened to cause this much blood splatter.

His lower lip quivered and he tried to fight back tears. Things just got a lot more serious than before. It was one thing to know that his friends vanished. But now...they were out there somewhere...trapped...

...and badly injured...

“Rudy...Penny...” Snap whispered, trying to hold back a sob. “W-Where are you...?”

He dropped onto his knees, staring at the blood splatters before him. Unable to hold back any longer, he started to cry.


	13. Welcome, Rudy And Penny

For Rudy, there was nothing but darkness. Pain and darkness...

He couldn’t see anything. He couldn’t hear anything.

All he knew was the shadows and the agony that enveloped him....

Then, slowly, a light came into view. It was dull at first, shining off in the distance, of sorts, before it slowly expanded. Slowly, the light grew brighter and brighter, forcing Rudy to clench his eyes shut and look away. He let out a soft moan in response to the bright light.

He opened up his eyes. At first, everything was nothing but a blurr. Faded colors mixed together in a confusing swirl. Any shades he could see was so blurry he couldn’t tell what they were at first. His vision was also pretty darkened, unable to detect that much light.

He was aware of a dull, rattling pain in his body. It was concentrated on his right side, the same one Cosmo had stabbed him in over a year ago. He let out another groan as he attempted to get up. But when he did so, a shockwave of pain swept through his body, causing him to yelp and fall back down. This was followed swiftly by a pounding headache. He shook his head in an attempt to ride it out.

He couldn’t remember what had happened. He didn’t know where he was. Maybe he was still at home? Or maybe he had fallen asleep in class and was taken to the principal’s office. His mind was muggy and clouded and he couldn’t make heads or tails of anything. He looked around, trying to get an idea of what his surroundings were.

Soon, his vision started to clear up. He started to see clearer shapes. The colors became more distinguishable, rather than being swirled together like it was dropped in a blender. The light became less intense for his eyes, and he soon realized that the light in the room was actually not that bright at all. His darkened vision wasn’t the result of his eyesight being messed up. The room he was in was actually pretty dark, with only a little bit of light to illuminate it.

When he was able to see more clearly, and he got a look at his surroundings, his heart immediately started to race. It didn’t take him long to realize something was not right.

This wasn’t his room. In fact, he didn’t know what this place was. The walls were sort of curvy and rocky. He noted the chalky texture, which told him almost right away that he was in ChalkZone. But how? He didn’t remember coming here. His mind was starting to clear up and he recalled the last thing he remembered was going to sleep and Penny had been with him.

Penny... He looked around frantically for his friend. Was she here with him? If not, where was she? He wished he remembered more of what happened. If he did, he would have a better idea of Penny’s whereabouts.

He attempted to move. Maybe if he turned around, he could get an overall better view of this place. But then he realized that he couldn’t move. His arms and legs were immobilized. Startled, he looked down at himself and saw that he was sitting in a chair. His arms and legs had leather straps on them, holding them in place. He tried to pull himself free. He attempted to yank his arm or leg out, something to help him get free. But the straps were too tight for him. No matter how hard he pulled, he only ended up hurting himself more. He eventually gave up.

The pain in his side intensified. He began to shift uncomfortably in the chair, trying to block out the pain. He clenched his teeth so hard from the pain; he almost felt them shatter. If only he could get out of this chair... He forced one of his tear-filled eyes open and glanced towards his side, curious about just what was causing the pain.

There was blood on his side. And it was dripping a little, going over the side of the chair and onto the floor. He could see where it was starting to dissolve a little bit of chalk.

His eyes snapped open wide at the sight of his blood. Suddenly, memories came flooding back to him. It was like a lightning bolt struck him in the head.

He remembered that he had almost gone to sleep until he heard a loud thud next to him. He thought that Penny was doing something. So he opened up his eyes and turned over to ask her to be quiet. But instead, he was greeted with a horrific sight...

Rudy had no idea how it happened, but Draow had somehow appeared in their room. He stared down at them with those horrible, teal eyes. He didn’t know how Draow got into the real world. He hadn’t left any portals open. But Rudy hardly thought of that as he immediately jumped up and tried to protect his friend.

Draow had snagged Penny by her arm and held her up. There was a deep cut along her head, fresh blood dripping down. Her eyes were closed, a clear indication that she had been knocked out. Draow bit down hard on her arm, forcing more blood out from her body. He stared down at Rudy and gave an evil smile, silently taunting him to try to help his friend. And that’s exactly what Rudy did.

Or so he tried.

Rudy jumped towards Draow, fully prepared to use his own body as a weapon. It wasn’t like he had much other choice. He didn’t have the magic chalk to help him this time. But if he managed to subdue Draow, then maybe...

Draow kicked Rudy to the side, causing him to crash against his bed. The force was really strong and it almost knocked him out. He tried again and this time Draow grabbed him roughly by the arm and threw him against his desk, causing stuff to spill all over the place. Draow dropped Penny and raced towards Rudy, mouth agape.

Rudy recalled the jaws clamping down on his side, cutting into his flesh. He tried to let out a scream, but Draow had covered his mouth with his wing to keep him quiet. Then Draow threw Rudy into the ground. By this time, Penny did wake up. She attempted to get up, and when she saw Rudy on the ground, his side torn open, she gasped in horror. She looked up as Draow closed in on her. He raised his foot and struck down with his talons.

The blow had hit him and Penny and they both crashed into the ground. Rudy tried to keep himself awake. His vision had started to blur. He looked up and watched as Draow approached him. The last thing he saw, when he finally lost consciousness, was something red covering the ground, walls, and ceiling. To his horror, he realized it was his blood...and Penny’s blood...

Then he had lost consciousness, and only now did he awaken. The pain from his other injuries started to surface. He had a few claw marks on his body where he was struck, as well as a few bruises. His clothes are slightly ripped as well. The headache he was feeling, that was from when Draow through him against his bed, or rather, the ladder leading up to his bed. The pain reminded him of what it felt like when Robot Rudy smashed him against the wall of the Chalk Mine entrance. That was an experience he had hoped he never would have to deal with again.

Questions flooded his aching mind. How had Draow gotten into the real world? How did he manage to get through his house without waking up his parents? How had he dragged him and Penny into ChalkZone without being seen? Just where were they? Why had they been brought here?

He took another look around him. Now that his vision was cleared and he had adjusted to the dimness of the room, he got an idea of what the place looked like. It was definitely a cave of sorts, or a house made to look like a cave. There were no windows anywhere. The light came from some small torches. Only a few. It gave the room a sort of spooky orange glow to it.

Off to his side, he could see that there was a small pile of materials. Random stuff like nails and hammers. The pile looked like it had been bigger. Signs of scraping and scratches, along with some pieces being bent a little or shattered, supported this. The pile had to have been bigger. But where did all the material go? And why was this stuff here to begin with? What would Draow need with it? He didn’t seem like the kind of guy..er...zoner..how would need stuff like this. He could just use his own strength to do the dirty work.

Unless Draow wasn’t alone...

Rudy remembered about the hybrid zoner. The hybrid zoner was the one who freed Draow, or so they thought. He still hadn’t seen this intruder, so he couldn’t tell if the intruder was the hybrid zoner that he had accidentally erased into ChalkZone.

He looked around some more, trying to find any signs of this mystery zoner. But so far, it seemed as though he was all alone. He must have been placed where shortly after his capture, strapped up against a chair while his captors awaited for him to open up his eyes.

When he looked out in front of him, he saw what appeared to be another chair. He narrowed his eyes. It was a bit hard for him to make out what it was. The object was placed in a darker part of the room. The torches along the walls barely shined any light on it. He continued to stare at the object, studying it, trying to make heads or tails of it. Something about it seemed familiar...

Then he realized, in horror, what it was. It was Penny...

The girl was strapped down just like him. She looked a little more bloodied than he was. He could see the deep cut on her forehead, which still dripped some fresh blood. He saw the scrapes and bruises and small cuts that now adorned her body. Her head was slumped to the side, showing that he hadn’t woken up just yet.

Like him, her arms and legs were strapped down against the chair. The straps looked pretty tight, and he thought that they were almost cutting off circulation. He took notice of a leather strap across her stomach. He looked down at himself and noticed he had one as well. Their captors certainly didn’t want them going anywhere.

Rudy stared at Penny’s unconscious face. There was a pained look in her closed eyes. Her hair was splayed over her face, looking unkempt due to the rough treatment she got from Draow. He saw a bit of blood clumps on her hair, no doubt from something that bat wolf did to her. As Rudy’s eyes trailed along her injuries, seeing the multiple small cuts, he felt anger rise up inside, as well as sorrow.

He wanted to get Penny out of here. He wanted to fight their kidnappers and make them sorry for what they did. He wanted to have Draow arrested, along with the creep that let him out, and have them brought to justice. He wanted so much to do that...

But the straps on his limbs and the realization that he had no magic chalk with him put a kink in those plans. If he couldn’t even get out of here...how was he ever going to save Penny? He wouldn’t even be able to protect himself. If he could just figure out a way to free himself, he would stand a better chance. The binds, however, were too tight. Like with Penny, his straps were tight enough to almost start interfering with blood circulation. And they cut into his skin a little, leaving a deep indention.

And Snap... His friend had no idea what had happened to them. He knew that if Snap knew where they were, he would come and find them. But would it be enough? Draow was much larger and quite strong. And this intruder was venomous...

It wasn’t that he had little confidence in Snap. No, far from it. He knew Snap was quite competent. But he almost lost him to Mr. Cosmo over a year ago. That was a horrible feeling... He didn’t want to experience it again. He didn’t want to see his best friend beaten and killed by these two...monsters. He hoped that, if Snap were able to come save them, he would bring back up.

“Urrgh...”

Rudy looked out in front of him and saw that Penny had started to wake up. She lifted up her head slowly. She shook her head a few times. Her eyes opened up slowly. She blinked a few times and looked around the room. When she locked eyes onto him, she paused, staring at Rudy with a puzzled expression.

“R-Rudy...what’s going on....?” Penny asked in a weak voice.

She tried to move. She attempted to lift up her arms, and then her legs, to no avail. Her sleepy, confused look quickly replaced to one of panic. Her eyes flew open and she stared down at her bound limbs. Her struggles increased. She tried to jerk herself free. She only managed to rock the chair from side to side. And she could only barely manage that.

When she stopped struggling, her breathing quickened. Rudy could see her chest rise and fall at great speed. She looked around the room, taking notice of the same features Rudy did. And, judging from her expression, she, too, realized that this isn’t place they’ve been to, and it certainly wasn’t the last place they were in before they both slipped out of consciousness.

Penny, now fully aware thanks to the scare, stared at Rudy with a frightened expression. “R-Rudy...where are we..?” Her voice was shaky and low.

Rudy bit his lip. He wanted to say something to comfort her. He wanted to tell her where they were and that he had a plan to get them out. But that would be lying, for he didn’t know himself. He was as much in the dark as she was.

He lowered his head. He said, “I...I really don’t know...”

Then a dark chuckle rattled through the room. It rumbled through his heart, shaking him to the core. He saw Penny shiver in fear, having the same reaction as him. That cold laughter... It sounded terrifyingly familiar. They know who it was that just laughed. They looked around, desperately trying to find the source of the voice.

They heard something walking towards them. Something large and heavy. The footfalls hit the ground with a thud each time the individual took a step. They heard the scraping of claws against stone ground. They could hear a low, gutteral growl intermixing with the laughter. They could see a shadow forming on the wall, darkening the already dark room. Even the torches seemed to flicker at the presence of this individual.

When the individual stepped into the light, Rudy and Penny immediately knew how it was. It was Draow... Upon seeing him, they cringed back in horror. Strapped down, there was nothing they could do to defend themselves should the beast decide to attack them. They watched fearfully as Draow moved in closer to them, an evil smile plastered on his long jaws.

Draow started to pace around the two teenagers. He first circled around Rudy. He went around him a few times, eyeing him up and down like he was dinner. He put his face close to Rudy’s, an obvious attempt to scare him. Then he moved towards Penny and started to circle her like a vulture. Unlike with Rudy, Draow went a little further with Penny. He brushed his tail against her tauntingly. Rudy watched, in horror, as Draow lowered a claw and gently pushed it against her cheek, doing nothing more than lightly scrape her. This was obviously done to distress her as they both know how sharp those claws are.

Draow walked away a little and then turned around to face the two teenagers. He placed himself off to the side, his body partially light by the torches. The dark shadows over his body and face made him look more terrifying than ever before. The glowing teal eyes certainly didn’t help.

“It is nice that you two are finally awake.” Draow said, grinning viciously at them. “I was getting tired of waiting.”

Althoug he was afraid, Rudy tried his best to hide it. He threw a hateful glare at Draow. “Where are we?” He demanded.

Draow tilted his head, his ears swiveling briefly. “I don’t think you are in any position to ask questions, Tabootie...” Draow took a step towards Rudy, lowering his head. His ears flatted against his skull. “But I am sure you already know why I brought you here...”

Rudy nodded his head slowly. He knew Draow was out for revenge. There was no doubt about it. The fiery look in the bat wolf’s eyes told all. His heart was racing, and he was breathing more quickly. But he fought the urge to struggle. He was afraid that if he did so, Draow would hurt him, or Penny.

Before Rudy and Penny could say anything in response to Draow, they heard another step of footsteps. Compared to Draow’s, it was like night and day. Where Draow’s footsteps were heavy and strong, these were light and fleeting. The pitterpatter of feet came towards them quickly. They could hear the brief clanging of claws against the ground, and then they both saw a brief flash of yellow and red.

Their eyes widened in horror. They knew who this had to be. The intruder that freed Draow...

The smaller zoner zipped around them. They could barely make out the shape. They could tell it was a four footer, just like the investigator thought. But they could make out very little else. This zoner had incredible speed. It was no wonder the jail wardens were unable to stop him.

Then the zoner stopped zipping around. Slowly, he stepped into the light, standing between Rudy and Penny. When he came full into the light, the two could finally make out exactly what he looked like. He wasn’t what either of them had expected.

At a glance, he looked relatively harmless. He looked a bit like a furry reptile. A jagged crest adorned his head and appeared to be flexible. He had bright green eyes which almost seemed to glow. His body was covered in yellow fur with a crimson underside. His tail looked like a cross between a wolf tail and a dinosaur tail. He had pointed ears that were currently perked, much like a happy dog. He looked really cute, like he wouldn’t harm a fly...

...that is until they saw his claws and fangs. His claws were large and thick, with pointed tips. It was clear that these claws were meant to shred through something harder than just mere flesh. And from the damage they saw at the jail, they could believe it. His claws alone were intimidating, especially with the way he tapped them against the hard ground.

But his fangs certainly didn’t help put them at ease. They stuck out of his mouth, long and thin, and were slightly curved. They rested neatly against his jaw. They could see some liquid drip from them and onto the ground. Steam rose high from it. They realized that it was his venom. Boiling venom that, if he dared to bite them, would burn them on the inside.

And around his neck, he wore a simple necklace. Attached to it was a small object. They couldn’t tell what it was at first. But when Rudy and Penny looked harder, they realized what it was.

A human tooth...

Rudy pressed his head back, staring at the yellow zoner in horror. His mind reeled, thoughts running through his head at lightning speed. The disappearances they heard on the television...they must have been linked to this zoner... He...he was responsible...

And now he had him and Penny at his mercy...

The zoner smirked at Rudy, as if he had somehow heard his thoughts, like he knew that he had made the connection. He moved towards Rudy until he was just a foot in front of him. He rose onto his back legs and placed his paws onto Rudy’s hands, being gentle with his claws so he wouldn’t cut him. He put his face close to Rudy’s and grinned. His lips pulled up so Rudy could see more of his fangs as well as his other razor sharp teeth.

Rudy tried to look away. But he found himself glued to the zoner’s eyes. Something about them made it hard for him to turn away. His heart beat quickly. He breathed faster. His eyes were filled with terror. He tried to push himself away, tried to get away from the venomous zoner. But he couldn’t go anywhere. He knew that, and so did the zoner.

The zoner stared into Rudy’s terrified eyes. He licked his jaws slowly, deliberately. His tail swished from side to side before wrapping around Rudy’s leg in an almost affectionate manner. Rudy wanted to scream and push him away. He had barely met the zoner and already he was creeping him out.

He moved his head to try to see Penny. She was looking at him with a horrified expression. It was clear she wanted to do something to help him, but with her strapped down, there was nothing she could do.

With the zoner so close, Rudy could see his outline. He started to tremble as he realized that the outline was striped, just like what Ms. Saffron said to watch out for. Part of the outline matched what color the zoner was. Dark yellow and dark red in their respective areas. But then, along with that, bright red stripes adorned the outline, with no rhyme or reason based on the zoner’s color. They were just there.

Rudy knew, without a doubt, that the intruder was indeed the hybrid zoner that freed Draow. The same hybrid zoner that Mr. Cosmo started to create, but never erased. The same zoner that had the potential of being worse than Cosmo.

And he and Penny had been trapped by him. They were completely at his mercy, and he knew they were going to get little of that while here. His heart was racing quickly, feeling more terrified than he ever did before. This...this couldn’t be happening... They had to get out of here somehow. They just had to. But how? There was no magic chalk, there was no way to tell Snap where they were, and they were both tied down, defenseless against anything this guy threw at them.

They were completely, utterly trapped and left vulnerable...

The hybrid zoner finally spoke after an uncomfortable silence. “Rudy Tabootie... I’m so glad that you and your friend, Penny Sanchez, are awake. I was getting bored of waiting for you...” The zoner moved on top of Rudy. He laid himself across Rudy’s shoulders, pressing his front claws against his chest, causing Rudy to wince a little. The zoner pressed the side of his head against Rudy’s and said, “Why, I almost thought about waking you up myself, but now..I don’t have to worry about that...” The zoner jumped away from Rudy, landing in the same spot he was in just moments earlier.

“Who...who...who are you...?” Rudy stammered.

The hybrid zoner swiveled his ears slightly and cocked his head to the side. “My name is Bardot.”

“What..do you want from us?” Penny asked with a shaky voice.

Bardot turned his head, giving the girl a sideways glance. “A lot, actually...” He eyed both Rudy and Penny up and down, studying them. He said, “I hope you are comfortable. Because you will be here for a while. Don’t like it here? Too bad. Get used to it.”

Rudy tried to be brave. He narrowed his eyes. “Let us go, Bardot.”

Bardot moved quickly and in seconds he was in Rudy’s face again. Rudy, taken aback, let out a quick cry of surprise and moved back. “I wonder how you will make me do anything...when you have no magic chalk, boy.” Bardot hissed in his face, that eerie smile staring back at him, mocking him. “And even if you did, without the use of your arms, the chalk is useless to you.”

Rudy knew Bardot was right. He couldn’t do anything without the magic chalk. And tied up like this, he couldn’t even use the chalk. He was completely defenseless. If Bardot decided to attack him, there was no way he could avoid the blows or fight back. He glared hatefully at Bardot, but kept quiet.

He looked over at Penny. His heart stung as he saw how frightened she was. Just as scared as him. They were somewhere they didn’t recognize. An unknown part of ChalkZone. They were tied up, without magic chalk, and now they were in the company of a crazed hybrid zoner and a vengeful winged wolf. They were in serious trouble.

A cold chuckle escaped Bardot’s throat. “I wonder how long you two will last...”

As he said this, Draow’s eyes gleamed with anticipation. He pawed the ground eagerly, the claws scraping against the ground.

Rudy sucked in a sharp breath, feeling his heart almost freeze to the point of stopping. He suddenly felt very cold. His body shook. He stared over at Penny in horror. She returned his expression. Fear of what will happen to them filled his mind. It was clear that, unless a miracle happened, they were both going to die here, and, judging from how Bardot spoke that line, it wasn’t going to be a quick death either.

Rudy’s eyes darted around the room. He tried in vain to find a way to escape. There had to be something here. Anything at all that could help him and Penny. But there was nothing. There was nothing here that would be of use to him, not while he was tied down. Not even a radio he could use to contact Snap...

“Where’s my dad?” Penny asked.

Rudy watched as Bardot walked over to his friend. He began to circle her like he had before. He finally stopped behind her. He got onto his head lines and placed his paws on her shoulders. He put the side of his face against hers, like how he had done with him. It was creepy how gentle he was being, especially considering just how vicious he really was.

“Oh my dear..” Bardot said in a sweet sounding voice. “Daddy is a little...broken apart to talk to you right now.”

Rudy and Penny’s eyes widened in horror at this.

“But don’t worry...” Bardot put his mouth close to Penny’s ear. He whispered into it, “You will soon be joining him...”

Penny’s face went pale. Tears started to drip from her eyes. She shook her head in denial. “N-No..it can’t be..no...papa...no...” She started to shudder. She closed her eyes tightly, clenching her teeth. She let out a scream. “No!”

Rudy looked at her sympathetically. Penny started to break down, crying. The sight of this broke his heart. He wanted to do something to help her feel better. But...what he could say about this...?

He shot a hateful glare at Bardot, whose cold laughter sliced through the air, chilling his heart. “You will pay for this...”

Bardot just smiled at him. “Perhaps I will, kid. Perhaps I will. But first...let us have some fun...”

Rudy flinched at that. He didn’t like the way he said the word ‘fun’. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to know what Bardot was implying. But he was certain that, sooner or later, he was going to find out, whether he liked it or not.


	14. What To Do

Snap’s mind felt like it turned into a block of ice. As he walked down the street, slowly back to where the old building was so he could return home, he found it hard to think of anything. Nothing...except what he had just seen in Rudy’s bedroom.

That blood...so much blood... Was it even possible his friends were even alive after that? They must have had some serious injuries to lose that much blood. And their attacker...from the damage he had seen, he must have tossed them around a little. He wouldn’t be surprised if his friends were suffering from some internal bleeding as well. The blood...he couldn’t get it out of his mind.

He didn’t want to give up hope on them. He wanted to believe that his friends were okay. That they were alive somehow and waiting for help. Yes, that might be the best thing to believe. Draow wouldn’t want them dead so fast. If he was anything like Cosmo, and he knew that he was, he would want to torment them first. And as much as he hated the idea of his friends being tortured and put through so much misery, it did still give him a chance to find them and rescue them.

As he cleared his mind a little, he thought about what the next course of action should be. He had no doubt in his mind that they were taken to ChalkZone. Heading back there was priority. Plus he couldn’t stay in the real world for very long. Even the act of standing in the real world was dangerous for him for too long during certain days. Not just rainy days, but humid days. The moisture in the air eats away at his body, and it itched, and if he stayed too long, it would start being pretty painful.

Normally, he wouldn’t even dared go into the real world without Rudy or Penny with him. He was helpless to get back on his own should they lose access to the portal. And he felt safe with his friends; they would know what was dangerous to him and help him avoid it at all coss. Being taken by Cosmo for a few days had made him even more apprehensive about going into the real world alone.

He had overridden this fear when he knew his friends were in danger. He needed to know what had happened, see it for himself. It was the only way for him to decide what he should do next. And though he felt nervous being in the real world, he was glad he went. As much as it terrified him to see all that blood, he felt better having an idea of what happened to his friends.

He hadn’t left the house right away. He had cried for several minutes, just letting it all out. The emotion built up inside of him, and he couldn’t hold it back. The fear of what happened, the fear that his friends might be gone, it was more than he could handle, and he just broke down.

He managed to make himself get up when he heard the sound of the door opening. He could hear soft crying, and voices. Rudy’s parents had went back into the house. Just them. Penny’s mom must have left and Terry was likely gone too, maybe to go back to her newswagon or whatever it was called to edit the footage for broadcast.

Although Mr. and Mrs. Tabootie stayed downstairs, trying to comfort each other, Snap had to leave. He couldn’t take the chance of them finding him. He didn’t want to risk them mistaking him for their son’s attacker. He would never hurt Rudy, but they wouldn’t know that. They weren’t aware of the strong friendship he had with their son, as well as Penny. For all they knew, he was an intruder, and once they saw he was made of chalk dust, he shuddered to think of how they might react.

Snap left the house the same way he came in. That meant going by the dreaded water again. This time, he did manage to control his fear a little. He kept telling himself that it wasn’t going to hurt him, that it wasn’t going to jump up and race towards him. He slipped around the small puddles of water and went out through the window, all the while being as quiet as he could.

And now, after some time of walking, trying to remember which way to turn, Snap could see the building up ahead. It was on the other side of the street, and, judging from the light, he would have to wait to cross. He watched the cars zip by. He coughed a little as he accidentally inhaled a bit of car smog. He had to stop and wonder how these humans managed to live like this.

Then, something caught his attention. The smell in the air, it had changed. He didn’t notice until now. Before, he didn’t really smell much of anything except some smog, and some food off in the distance. Food that he couldn’t eat unless he wanted to kill himself or, at the very least, make him sick. He had no idea how long the smell was there, and nothing about it seemed familiar.

It was...an almost chemical dampy kind of smell. Nothing like the vinegar. He shuddered at the memory. This was less intense, and yet it still smelled thick and heavy. Snap looked around, trying to find the source of the smell. He forgot all about watching the traffic ahead, and he spent some time walking around, trying to figure out the smell.

Then, slowly, he turned his head up. He wondered...could the smell be coming up from the sky? Now that he thought about it, the sky was looking unusually dark....

His eyes widened. He let out a gasp of fear. No...no not now...

His mind began to race, and as he heard the sound of thunder in the distance, it took all his strength not to scream aloud, which would have drawn unwanted attention to himself. He heard the sound of drops hitting against the ground. Tiny drops, and they hadn’t yet reached him. But that would all change in a matter of seconds...

Without thinking, Snap bolted across the street. Several cars screeched to a halt. He heard humans spewing insults at him, waving their fists in anger. The loud honking of cars filled his eardrums, almost overshadowing the thunderclap that sounded.

Snap ran as fast as he could. He watched the ground start to get a little wet. Droplets fell all around him. His heart began to race. If he didn’t get inside that building soon... He pushed himself to go faster, his throat getting dryer by the second. He could see the building to his side. He just needed a few more seconds.... Just a couple more seconds, please...

Snap slammed himself against the door. He didn’t bother opening it. He used his two dimensional powers to squeeze under the door. As soon as he got inside, he heard another thunderclap and the rain falling down much heavier than before. He walked over to a window and he let out a scream when he took notice of what was going on out there.

It was like a mansoon had struck. The rain came down thick, filling almost every part of the air with water. The wind picked up, washing the water across the ground. Already, there was a thin sheet of water on the ground, being rippled and rolled around by the wind. Another crack of thunder rattled through Snap’s body, making his heart beat faster and faster as realization sunk in.

If he had just been a few seconds late, he would have...he would have been...

Tears formed in his eyes once more, this time from fear and shock. He couldn’t believe how close he had gotten to dying... And his friends would not have known what happened to him. They might die never knowing what had happened to him, not knowing that he had gone into the real world to find them.

Snap shuddered at the realization of how close he was to death. A few seconds, and he would have died. He placed a hand on his chest, feeling his heart thump against his ribcage. He took in deep breaths, trying to calm himself down. He took one last look through the window, swallowed hard, and forced himself to walk up the rickety steps towards the portal that would take him home. He would feel much better when he went back home, in a dimension that couldn’t kill him as easily as a knife cutting through melted butter.

When he went back through the blue portal, and his feet touched the familiar ground that was ChalkZone, he felt a wave of relief hit him. All the fears that he had regarding his own safety had vanished. He felt secure here. He knew, here, the rain wouldn’t be able to get to him. He was away from the real world water. He wasn’t in danger anymore.

...but he knew his friends still were. He needed a way to track down Draow. But how? There was no blood trail leading outside. There would have to be some other way to find him. Strands of hair maybe. He decided he should go home, to his place, to locate his detective outfit Rudy drew for him when Penny first came. The magnifying glass might help him here.

He didn’t get two steps away before he found himself being smothered by Rapsheeba. She had pulled him into a hug and she had a look of great relief on her face. He had almost forgotten she was there, his mind clouded by the memories of what he had witnessed in the real world, the sight he beheld when he went into Rudy’s bedroom.

“My man Snap! You’re okay!” Rapsheeba cried out.

Snap gagged. “Please let me go...” She was squeezing him too hard.

When Rapsheeba realized what she was doing, she let go of him. “Oh I’m so sorry... Are you okay?”

Snap rubbed his head and brushed himself off. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

After a few moments of silence, Rapsheeba sucked her lip nervously. “So uh...” She hesitated, looking at Snap worriedly. She forced out the question she was afraid to ask. “Did you find out anything?”

At this, Snap furrowed his eyebrows and he stared at her. He gave a rigid nod. “Y-Yeah, I did...” He tried his best not to cry.

Rapsheeba noticed how red his cheeks were. She knew that he had been crying. She put a hand over her mouth and took a step back. She stared at Snap with a combination of horror and sympathy. Snap didn’t need to say anything for Rapsheeba to understand the gravity of the situation.

Feeling a tear roll down his cheek, Snap looked at Rapsheeba and said, “It...it was horrible. There was..blood everywhere...So much blood...”

Rapsheeba gasped in horror. She took a step back, staring at Snap. She looked like she wanted to say something, but no words would come out.

Snap’s body shuddered once. He fought back the tears that continued to form. Yet he couldn’t stop a few more tears from trinkling down his face.

“D-Draow attacked them... I know it was him....” Snap said in a shaky voice. Rapsheeba’s eyes widened at this. “He must have taken them into ChalkZone.. I don’t know where they are but I swear...I swear...” His fists shook in determination. “I will find them...”

Rapsheeba placed a hand on his shoulder. She looked at him sympathetically. In an attempt to encourage him, she said, “I’m sure you will...”

“Thanks, queenie...” Snap said softly, offering a weak smile.

She smiled back, but her attention turned back to the portal. “What are we going to do about this?”

Snap stared at the portal. He hadn’t thought about that. He could try to get rid of the portal and...no that wouldn’t work. Zoners could not erase portals. It was too risky for them. Even the act of touching an eraser was dangerous. He couldn’t take the chance of hurting or killing himself.

The next best thing to do was to hide the portal somehow. But...just how was he going to do that? He could try slinging something over it, but that would make it even more noticeable to anyone walking by. While most zoners would not want to go through the portal anyway, he knew that some scrupulous zoners might want to go through and cause a bit of trouble themselves. And even if no zoners like that came across here, the act of going into the real world not only posed a threat to the individual, but risked exposing ChalkZone.

He couldn’t very well draw a cover for the portal. He wasn’t a creator like Rudy or Penny. So he would have to make do with what he had. Maybe he could find something tall that could drap over the portal and cover it up or something. He looked around, trying to find something to help him with this.

Snap turned to Rapsheeba. “Do you see anything we can use to cover up the portal?”

Rapsheeba looked confused. She glanced around quickly before saying, “I don’t think so. Why?”

Snap walked around the immediate area, searching around desperately for something he could use. There had to be something here. There just had to be. “We need to cover up the portal with something. Preferably something dark but inconspicuous. We don’t want any zoners or humans finding this portal. I would erase it, but we zoners can’t do such a risky thing without hurting ourselves in the process.”

“Sorry, Snap.” Rapsheeba said. “I just don’t know if we can do that. I don’t see any concievable way we could...”

“Well we have to try!” Snap said, his voice firm. “ChalkZone would be in danger if we don’t...”

“Our friends are in danger, Snap.” Rapsheeba reminded him. “We can’t be wasting time on this. From what you said, we need to go find them, and fast.”

Snap paused and thought about this. He knew Queen Rapsheeba was right. The more time they spent on this, the less time he had to help his friends. They were somewhere, badly hurt, maybe barely alive, and they needed help fast. And if he kept wasting time on this portal...

...he might never see them again...

Snap knew he had a tough decision to make. He could try to cover up the portal, or he could start to look for his friends. And both had their own form of consequence. Leaving the portal out in the open increases the chances of a zoner or human stumbling across it and crossing through. And there was a probability that the zoner or human who finds it would have less than ideal intentions. But if he kept working on hiding the portal, that was less time he had to find his friends. If he kept at this, he would lose his two best friends, and he wouldn’t be able to forgive himself for that.

He growled in frustration, clutching his head. It was so hard to choose. He didn’t want to lose his friends. But he also didn’t want to put ChalkZone, his home, in grave danger. He weighed the two options in his mind. He felt a sick feeling rising in his stomach annd chest, making him feel like he wanted to throw up. Oh, why did he have to be forced between a rock and a hard place...?

Rapsheeba tapped him on the shoulder. He turned to face her. She gave him the best smile that she could, trying her best to reassure him.

“Hey, don’t worry about it. I’ll take care of the portal. I’ll...think of something.” She said. “You go figure out where Rudy and Penny are.”

Snap’s eyes widened a little. He hadn’t thought about asking Rapsheeba to help with the portal. He was grateful that she offered to take care of it. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a hug. “Thank you, queenie...” He said in a soft voice, smiling gratefully.

Rapsheeba returned the hug, rubbing his back. “No problem.”

Letting go of her, Snap smiled at Rapsheeba for a few seconds, then he turned his head towards where his sleeping quarters were. He narrowed his eyes in determination. He was going to find Rudy and Penny, and he will do whatever it takes to save them. They tried so hard to save him when he was held captive by Cosmo, and when he felt like he was on his last leg.

Now it was time that he returned the favor.

sss

Five disappearances...no, make that seven disappearances. All within a short amount of time. All with no evidence left behind except blood, and some minor destruction, most likely from all the struggling. And they all happened in Plainsville...

To most people, these events were alarming, confusing, and horrifying. No one knew what was going on. Nobody had a clue where the bodies where, if the victims were even still alive. There was nothing left at the crime scenes that offered any clues as to what was going on. The families in mourning are desperate to find out what happened to their loved ones. They would hope and pray that someone, somewhere, has any kind of clue as to the whereabouts of the victims.

That is, except one person. There was one person in town currently who wasn’t as confused as the others. Terry Bouffant was her name. She sat in her television van, parked in an empty parking lot, looking over the evidence she had gathered.

She had an idea of what was going on. She had learned how to recognize the signs after all her encounters with Rudy and his friends. She looked at the pictures of the crime scenes and narrowed her eyes at them. There was one thing that would explain the disappearances. However, her theory could never be broadcasted, not unless she wanted to lose her job. It had taken her a long time to get a higher position. Not as high as she used to be, but it was a step up for her.

She knew that ChalkZone had to be connected. It would explain why there were no bodies found. She had been to ChalkZone before, and from what she’d seen, it was a large place. Maybe not as big as earth, though she couldn’t tell. But it was still quite big. There were many places for people to disappear to in that place.

The only thing she wasn’t sure of was the circumstances of the disappearances. They all seemed random at first. And she wasn’t even sure if the attacker was a zoner or someone who had access to ChalkZone. The seemingly random attacks became more focused when Andrew Sanchez, whom she believed was Penny’s father, disappeared. It might have been a coincidence, but her gut feeling told her that he had been targeted on purpose.

And then Rudy and Penny both vanish. And the room they were taken from had a lot more blood... She shuddered a little at the memory. The sight of all that blood made her feel uneasy. She might not like the kids that much, but even she wouldn’t wish that kind of fate on them. She did feel a little sorry for the parents. But she kept most of her focus on trying to figure out just what happened.

She had seen Snap White running into a building. She had been trying to drive home when someone rushed into traffic. She almost hit a car in front of her as she slammed hard on her brakes. She was pissed off and looked out the window to see who the jerk was. Her eyes widened when she saw it was Snap, apparently trying to escape the rain, as seconds later the rain fell.

She wondered why he was in the real world and not back in ChalkZone. And why would he run into that building of all places? Why not Rudy’s house? After doing some quick thinking, she deduced that there must be an open portal in that particular building. He could have ran into another building right next to it, or even passed it, but instead, he chose that one building. Old, worn, nobody having used it in a long time.

Terry narrowed her eyes. Yes, there had to be an open portal there. If she could go in there and locate the portal, she could finally get irrefutable evidence of the chalk world’s existence. And, as much as she never really wanted true harm to come to Rudy and Penny, nothing like what had happened to them, one good thing that came out of it was that, unlike her first attempt to expose ChalkZone...

...this time, there would be no one to stop her.


	15. Play A Game With Me, Snap

Snap had rushed towards his home as fast as he could. He did run into a couple of zoners, whom he quickly apologized to. But he didn’t stop moving. Every second, every minute that went by...that was more time for his friends to be tortured, hurt, killed... He didn’t have time to waste. He had to get back to his sleeping quarters, and he had to do it now.

He wanted to go there to get his detective stuff. And he also wanted to spend sometime thinking about what he should do. A quiet place was what he needed, and though he could have just stayed out in the field, he felt like he could think better if he was alone. He needed a bit of time to think about what he was going to do next, where to go first. There were many places in ChalkZone he could start looking. Once he got his detective gear, he would go back to the blue portal and see if anything around there could tell him something.

Draow was a large zoner. And a little heavy too. He would have left footprints behind, even just slight ones. Using the magnifying glass, he would be able to find these footprints and get an idea of which direction his friends were taken in. He had thought about finding a zoner with a great sense of smell to help him track Draow down. Surely some artist made a drawing like that. ChalkZone had all kinds of citizens with different abilities. Kids liked drawing dogs, so if he found a dog zoner, he’d have a better chance of finding his friends.

He did not plan on staying at his sleeping quarters for too long. Though he still had more planning he had to do, like what he is going to do when he faced the hybrid zoner, he had little time to waste. He planned on spending no more than ten, twenty minutes at his place before he would get a move on.

He thought about his friends. His mind flashed briefly with scenes of their blood everywhere. It made him shudder. Everytime he thought about it, it made him do that. He could only imagine the kind of attacks Draow gave them to create so much blood splatter. With all that blood, he knew they were very badly injured, possibly bleeding to death. And he had no doubt in his mind that Draow would go even further with them.

Draow clearly had the cruelty intent that Mr. Cosmo had. He was that evil man’s creation. He shared traits from him. He was a lot like him. Maybe not so much a good planner, but that didn’t make him any less dangerous. Despite not being as good at scheming, he was good at decieving. Being able to trick everyone for years that he couldn’t talk...that took skill. It made Snap wonder why Draow decided to break his vow of silence. Maybe he just got tired of not saying anything.

Snap still wasn’t certain about the hybrid zoner and what part they played. The idea of him being more dangerous than Cosmo did frighten him. Cosmo was terrifying, a monster. He still had nightmares of him. He couldn’t fathom how anyone could be worse than him. It made him afraid to encounter this hybrid zoner. He wasn’t sure if he really wanted to know just how far this intruder would go.

Not knowing what the hybrid zoner’s plans are was going to make this investigation more difficult than he thought. Draow was clearly listening to this guy. And he had no doubts in his mind that the hybrid zoner had ordered Draow to capture his friends. Whatever plan this guy had involved his friends, but just what he wanted to do with them, he wasn’t sure.

A thought was revenge. But Snap had his doubts about that. The problem with that theory is that it would require the hybrid to actually care about Mr. Cosmo. Draow certainly did, viewing him as his master and equal. He had followed Mr. Cosmo willingly, not because he was being forced to. But...the first hybrid zoner Cosmo made recently didn’t care about what he had to say. What were the odds the second one would care? If the second recent hybrid zoner was anything like the first recent one, then revenge couldn’t be a very likely possibility.

And it made sense. The red chalk drawings weren’t known to be loyal, and would turn on their creators on a dime if they saw fit. Both Rudy and Reggie had suffered from this when they used the red chalk. Even though Mr. Cosmo created the hybrid to override this, the red chalk half of these hybrids would still not want to take orders, and it may be enough to override the white chalk halves. Red chalk was strong, and Snap knew that the red half would be the most dominant part.

Snap found it pretty ironic. The purpose of the red chalk was so that Mr. Cosmo could create violent, obedient zoners that would do whatever he said. It was an attempt to take over ChalkZone, to control it. But instead of helping him, it did the exact opposite. The red chalk revolted, forcing Mr. Cosmo to seek alternative methods. It was a failure. Snap sometimes wondered if Mr. Cosmo had some fear of the red chalk that he created and that was why he was so desperate to control it.

The man was obsessed with control. He loved being in power. He loved being able to call all the shots. Everything for him, for a time, had been all under control, planned out. And even when something different happened, he adjusted accordingly.

When Rudy told him what happened when Cosmo finally realized everything was falling apart, Snap wasn’t surprised. Someone who enjoyed that much control would surely snap like that when they realized things weren’t going their way anymore. Despite all his planning, all his preparation, Mr. Cosmo had still lost and he hadn’t taken it well. According to Rudy, the man had suddenly abandoned his calm, creepy persona and just went beserk. It was something that Rudy and the others thought they would never experience from this guy.

There was a terrifying thought Snap had as he made his way towards his sleeping quarters. Red chalk drawings seemed to attack with no purpose. They just..went about destroying things. In fact, the sentient, horrific chalk seemed the only crave destruction. That was its goal; to spread chaos thoughout ChalkZone. Nothing more than that. No scheme, no plan, no nothing. Just...wanting to cause as much pain as possible.

What if this hybrid zoner is like that? What if, despite having the intelligence of white chalk, the hybrid zoner really has no big plans? What if he isn’t doing this because of grand scheme? What if he is only doing this...for fun...?

If that is the case, if the hybrid zoner really is only doing this just for the heck of it...if he is causing his friends so much pain simply because he ‘feels like it’.... Then Snap can easily see just where he would be worse than Mr. Cosmo. Though that man was pure evil, his actions often had a motive behind it. But if this hybrid zoner is only interested in causing pain just because he wants to...that would be so much worse...

Snap soon reached his place and went inside. He looked around his place, trying to find where he put that detective outfit and magnifying glass that Rudy drew for him years ago. He remembered he put it in a box in his closet, so maybe it would be there. He went into his bedroom and checked his closet, but he didn’t see it. He narrowed his eyes. Where could he have put it?

He tried looking under the dresser. He didn’t watch where he was going and he banged his had. He winced and rubbed his head. Something fell on his head. He looked down and saw it was the plushie of himself Skrawl had given him. He picked it up, smiled briefly at it, and then put it back up on top of the dresser.

When he did so, he had noticed something else underneath the dresser. He knelt back down and saw a small box. He pulled it out, careful not to bang it against the dresser. He placed it on his bed and opened it up.

It was his detective outfit and magnifying glass. He didn’t recall putting it under his dresser. But with all that has happened, he may have just forgotten. He took the two items out and brushed the dust off of them. Even after he did that, they still looked kinda dirty. It didn’t surprise him, considering he hadn’t used them in years. And there was a funny smell to the detective outfit, but he could manage. It was just a smell after all.

In a weird sort of way, it was almost like Skrawl was helping him. If he hadn’t been hit in the head with the Snap plushie and had to go pick it up, he may never have noticed the box underneath his dresser. Of all the places, that would have been the last place he’d check. So, in a way, Skrawl did make things a lot easier for him.

Now that he had his outfit, it was time he tried to figure out exactly what he was going to do next.

Finding a dog zoner would be a priority. Tracking would be the best way to friend his friends. He didn’t have anything with their scent on, but he may be able to find some strands of hair at the portal where he was certain they were dragged through. He hoped that would be enough for the dog zoner to get the scent and take him to his friends.

But then, what if it wasn’t enough? A few strands of hair might not have enough scent for the dog zoner to follow. It was better than nothing, sure, but there was still a chance that the scent was long gone by now. Draow may have found a way to cover the scent, or make it weaker somehow. If that were the case, Snap needed to think of a plan B, and fast.

Someone with a stronger sense of smell might also work. Some zoners did have really strong sense of smell, stronger than usual, and could pick up any scent. But finding these zoners was hard. Most of them are too far away; he couldn’t risk going to them. There was one zoner relatively close that did have such a power, but he wasn’t sure if he really wanted to ask him for help.

Boorat.

The giant rat that had tried to expose ChalkZone. He had been taken to the same prison that Draow had been locked up in. He hadn’t seen him during their visits there, but that was because he was in another level. He had been sent there after his arrest. When he had gotten free, he had tried again to expose ChalkZone and had harrassed Rudy and his friends. Biclops had quickly put an end to it and Boorat was caught and jailed.

Snap knew that Boorat had a terrific sense of smell, probably the best that he knew of. Boorat was very likely able to track down where his friends are, where Draow and this mystery zoner went. He could help capture the two criminals and bring them back, and in exchange, he would get something. But he didn’t know if Boorat would even take that offer. It wasn’t like he liked him and his friends very well, and his whole purpose of being created was to fetch the magic chalk. Once freed, he would go straight back to that.

It didn’t help that Snap had frozen the guy into a ‘living statue’ after their first encounter. It was clear, from their second encounter, that Boorat held contempt for him. There was no way the giant rat would ever agree to help him and his friends.

So Boorat was out of the picture. Snap tried to think of another zoner with that kind of smelling power, but no one came up. Everyone he could think of was just...too far away. He couldn’t take the risk and find them. By the time he could find them and bring them back here, his friends might already be.... No, he had to hurry.

Snap decided to get a drink of water. His throat was still dry from all the running he had done. He closed the box and walked into the kitchen. He grabbed a glass and turned the sink on, filling the glass with the water that sprang from the faucet. He took a few sips as he headed into his living room. He sat down on his recliner and leaned back.

Normally, he would relax in here. He enjoyed a little relaxation once in a while and this was a good place for him to do it. After all that running, his body did want some rest.

But he couldn’t rest for long. Not while his friends were in danger. He would rest only for a short time, to regain some of his energy back. He needed to focus on figuring out where his friends could be. He needed to get started with his own investigation. He knew that Skrawl might not be happy with him doing detective work on his own, but he didn’t really care what Skrawl thought at the moment.

It was one thing when they were simply trying to find Draow and his hybrid zoner. But the moment that they had kidnapped his friends, it had become personal... No one gets away with hurting his friends. He was going to do whatever it took to find his friends and make the culprits pay for what they did. He was not going to allow them to get away with this. When someone messes with his friends, they mess with him.

Snap held up the glass in the air. He stared at his reflection, rippling as the water moved to and fro in the glass. He continued to stare at his reflection as thoughts swam through his mind.

“Rudy and Penny...” He said in a soft voice. “I will find you. I will make those creepazoids pay for what they did to you. I will make them sorry. I promise.”

He could just imagine what the criminals’ response was going to be. He could imagine it so vividly, he could practically hear it.

“Oh, do you really think so?”

Yes, something like that. That is what he imagined that they would say. And he would have a few choice words for them. And then he would give them exactly what they deserve. Normally, he was not a violent person, but he would gladly make an exception for these two. They deserved a few good punches.

Snap continued to stare at his reflection, watching it wobble. He then noticed something strange. Something that wasn’t there a moment ago. Something was moving. It didn’t look familiar. It almost looked like a dog of some kind. He could tell it was furry, but the overall shape, he couldn’t tell exactly. The ripple of the reflection was distorting the image. He thought, at first, that a dog zoner got lost in his house. He wouldn’t have minded that, since he could still use the help of a dog zoner, even if the chances of finding his friends with one weren’t very high.

But as the shape started to get larger, he began to notice features that he didn’t think there on most dog zoners. The muzzle looked more reptilitian. They didn’t have a black or pink colored nose like dog zoners typically had. And the shape of the nose was, again, something he would expect from a reptile zoner. He also never recalled any dog zoner having a spikey crest like this one had. And the paws, which he caught a brief glimpse of, didn’t look like dog paws. Three large claws that looked pretty sharp.

Then Snap took notice of the coloration. He narrowed his eyes, trying to get a better look. Red and yellow...where he had seen that before? There was something familiar about that color. Then, realization hit him like a freight train. Red and yellow...were the same colors as the intruder...

Before Snap had time to turn around, there was a flash of color. A swift motion that caused wind to rush past him. His glass was knocked out of his hand. He heard it breaking on the ground, the water spilling all over the place. But he paid little attention to that as his senses were overwhelmed with the sensation of something..no someone, pinning him down against his chair. The force was so great, the chair fell backwards. Snap yelped in pain as his head hit against the ground.

When Snap opened his eyes, the first thing he was aware of was that the intruder was so close, he could see the chalky details of their outline. He also noticed, really fast, that the outline was striped. He realized, in horror, this really was the hybrid zoner that Ms. Saffron had warned them about.

He stared up at the hybrid zoner, who was sneering down at him, a grin on his face. The way he was looking at him..it reminded him so much of Mr. Cosmo... His heart racing, Snap tried to get away from him. But he quickly realized he was immobilized. In the few seconds the hybrid zoner had to knock into him, he had wrapped his furry tail around his legs, securing them, he used his hind legs to hold down his thighs and stomach, and he used his front legs to hold his arms at his sides.

Snap tried to get free. He pulled his legs and arms, trying in vain to get them free. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t free them. This zoner was not too much larger than him, but he certainly possessed a lot more strength. Snap continued to struggle, all the while the zoner just smiled evilly at him.

“No...no...” Snap whimpered. “This can’t be happening...”

His mind was brought back to when Mr. Cosmo had strapped him to a table. His legs and arms pinned down so he couldn’t get away. The water droplet that fell on his head... This was the same way he had felt back then, so helpless, so desperate to get away, but being unable to do a thing about it.

Snap stared up at the intruder in horror. His eyes widened as he saw the fangs drip with heated venom. He saw it drip down and land right next to him. Steam rose up. He let out a scream and cringed back. His body started to shake in fear. He watched anxiously, waiting for the intruder to do something.

But the intruder did nothing but smile down at him. It was clear he was enjoying his torment. He bared his teeth, showing off more of his long fangs. Snap stared, trembling, into the intruder’s bright green eyes. He could have sworn he saw Cosmo staring back at him through those eyes. And that just made him even more afraid.

In this moment, Snap realized the voice he heard earlier...it hadn’t been from his head. He didn’t imagine it. It was from this zoner. It had been him who said that, which means the intruder heard what he said about making him and Draow pay. He gulped, shaking in fright. He wondered if this zoner was angry about what he said and was going to retaliate against him. He didn’t know why the hybrid zoner wasn’t doing anything yet, unless he wanted to watch him squirm for a little longer.

“At last...” The zoner said, speaking in a voice that sounded too sweet for the way this guy was acting. He raised up his head a little. “We meet face to face... I would have waited, but I really just had to introduce myself before we...continued.”

Snap struggled a little more. He stared up at the zoner. “What...what have you done with my friends?” He demanded.

The zoner tilted his head to the side. “They’re...alive.” The evil smile became broader. “Now as for fine..that’s a different story.”

Snap narrowed his eyes. “If you hurt them, I swear I’ll...”

The zoner laughed darkly. He looked amused by Snap’s attempt at bravery. He repositioned his paws. Before Snap could do anything, he soon found his arms now positioned above his head, held down by one of the intruder’s paws. Now with a free paw, the zoner used a single claw to gently trace a line down his face and under his chin. He was very gentle, careful not to scratch him.

“You really are something. So brave. So noble. Now I understand why it was so hard to..break you completely.” The zoner said, giving another dark chuckle. He traced his claw down the middle of Snap’s chest before he suddenly pressed harder, drawing a little bit of blood. He smirked as Snap gave a quick yelp. The intruder looked at the blood on his claws and licked it off slowly. “But you are still mortal. Just how far can you go? How much can you take before you fall down?”

Despite his fear, Snap growled at the intruder. “I’ll last long enough to save my friends and send you and Draow to jail.”

“Perhaps you may succeed...” The intruder said, scratching his own chin thoughtfully. “I am not one to lie. I agree that maybe...you can stop me. But only time will tell, don’t you think?” He sneered, smiling down at Snap. “And before I forget, since I know you will want to call me by name in the future... My name is Bardot.”

“Well then Bardot,” Snap said, glaring hatefully at the zoner that conspired in the kidnapping of his friends. “You better watch out. I will save my friends, and you are going to pay. You are going to be brought to justice, and after they are through, you will regret everything you have done.”

Bardot laughed at this. “Oh, so full of spirit. I like that. I shall look forward to our battle...if you are able to make it.” Snap snarled at him. “For you see, if you wish to find your friends, you must play a game with me.”

“I’m not playing any game with the likes of you!” Snap spat.

Bardot said, “Oh but you’d want to play this game. It’s called ‘Can You Find Your Friends Before They Die?’. It’s really all the rage. I’m surprised you don’t want to play.”

Snap’s eyes widened in horror. He felt his heart clench. Did Bardot just threaten his friends’ lives? Was he really that cruel that he was using them as mere toys in some forsaken ‘game’? And he was going to force him to play this sinister thing? Was that all this was to Bardot? A game?

He had only seen this guy for a few minutes, only spoke to him for a short time, and already he realized this guy really did have the potential of being worse than Mr. Cosmo. That man never regarded his plans as entirely a game; everything had a purpose. But with Bardot, it seemed he really was only doing this for fun. Perhaps he was wrong, but that was how it was shaping up. Bardot was giving him no reason to believe otherwise.

That would explain his casual attitude to his threat. If Bardot sees this all as a game, just something to do for fun, then any threat he is given would be percieved as just a consequence of ‘playing the game wrong’. He growled at this. He couldn’t think of a punishment that Bardot would take seriously, which would mean that bringing him to justice wouldn’t change much. He would simply shrug it off and, if he escaped, he’d continue doing terrible things.

Still, Snap was not going to let him get away with this. Even if he had to do it himself, he would make sure he gets the justice he deserved. He would find a way to make him sorry, to make him feel actual regret for what he did to his friends.

“You aren’t going to get away with this.” Snap said in the bravest, most determined voice he could muster. “You have no idea who you’re messing with. Do you know who I am?” Snap was taken aback when Bardot put his face very close to his.

“I know very well who you are...Snap White.”

At this, Snap’s eyes widened. He wasn’t surprised that the zoner knew his first name. He might have heard it around town, somewhere in ChalkZone. But the fact that he somehow knew his last name, the one Penny gave him... It was nerve wracking. There was no way he could have known that.

Bardot smirked at him. “You are the zoner that beat the odds against the Dark Creator.” Snap wondered who he meant at first, but then he realized that he must have been referring to Mr. Cosmo. He tried to push himself back when Bardot’s face got even closer, to the point where he could feel his nose against his face. “But can you save your dear friends...from me?”

At this, Bardot’s eyes seemed to brighten and twinkle a little. It usually would look pretty on anything else, but seeing this in Bardot’s eyes was horrifying. Snap felt the courage he had mustered up fade away as Bardot talked to him in such a casual but very menacing way. Having him so close, with those fangs, wasn’t helping either.

“Time is running out, Snap. You better hurry.” Bardot whispered in his ear before pulling his head back.

For a moment, there was silence. Snap could only hear the sound of breathing. No one said a word. Bardot stared down at him, those gleaming eyes and sharp teeth practically staring into his sould. Suddenly, without warning, Bardot struck forward.

Snap let out a scream as Bardot slammed his face against something solid. He closed his eyes and looked away. He trembled and clenched his teeth. He opened up his eyes and looked to his right side. Bardot had bitten down on his couch, his fangs sunk in deep. He was utterly horrified by this. Those fangs...so close... He stared to whimper in fear.

Hyperventilating, Snap watched as Bardot released his couch and threw his head back in a maniacal laughter. The red chalk portion of him was really shining through here. When he stopped laughing, he grinned down at Snap, some venom clinging to the tip of his fangs. Snap stared at him, unable to stop his body from shaking.

Fear overwhelmed Snap. He was feeling as helpless as he did with Mr. Cosmo. His chest rose and fell rapidly as he sucked in each breath quickly. He could hear his heart pounding against his ribcage, so hard that he almost thought it was going to burst through. His teeth started to chatter as his body shook even harder. He let out a whine as Bardot lowered his head again. He turned his head to the side, staring up at Bardot with one fear-filled eye.

Bardot placed his mouth next to Snap’s head. He whispered, “I have placed the items to begin the game in your bedroom. Look for them. You will find two cards. One explaining the rules. The other, with information on where to go for the first game. You will be playing multiple games, and, if you pass, you will locate your friends and you will have a chance to save them. I can promise you that.”

Snap didn’t respond. He just continued to stare at the hybrid zoner, too afraid to speak a word.

“I also gave you a radio so we may...communicate.” Bardot added. “But don’t bother tracing it. I made sure that it cannot be used to find me. That would be cheating.” He waggled his finger like a scolding parent. He jumped off of Snap, landing a couple feet away. “I am eager to get started. Don’t diddle dally, Snap White. And I wish you...” His voice darkened, sounding even more menacing than before. “..the best of luck...”

With that, he ran off, becoming a flash of color before vanishing from sight, leaving behind a frightened and shaken up Snap.

Snap laid there for a few seconds, breathing in and out quickly, trying to digest what had just happened. He got up to his feet. Each step he took was shaky, and he almost fell over a few times. He made his way towards his door and swung it open. He looked left and right.

There was no sign of the hybrid zoner. And nobody walking around was reacting differently. It didn’t seem like anyone had seen this guy. It was like he wasn’t even here.

Snap took in a few shaky breaths, his mind racing. He looked down at his chest. He gingerly placed his right hand there. He winced as he felt it sting. He pulled his hand away and saw a little bit of blood. He looked back out into the streets. Realization began to sink in.

Bardot was right. He needed to hurry.


	16. Twisted And Abhorrent

Despite what Bardot had told them about ‘having fun’, he had yet to do anything to Rudy or Penny. He decided he needed to go do something, and had left Draow in charge of watching them. Bardot told Draow not to do anything to them while he was gone. Bardot didn’t say where he was going; just that he needed to ‘get something set up’, yet never said just what that was.

Not that Rudy cared. He was glad that monster was gone, even if it was just for a short while. He couldn’t stand looking at him. He enjoyed the time Bardot was away. He couldn’t stop the rage from building up everytime he saw his face. What he had done, it was unforgiveable. He hadn’t known him that long, and already he felt like punching him in the face.

Before Bardot left, he felt it necessary to inform them on what he had done, specifically, to Penny’s father. And when he had finished the story, Penny...she was even more broken down than before. He wanted to comfort her, but..what could have said to something like that? Nothing he thought of to say seemed good enough to help her. What could he say to someone who...just lost their father...?

Bardot..he would pay for what he did. Somehow...someway..he was going to pay. He was going to regret everything he did against them. He was going to suffer. He was going to see to that.

Bardot confessed to killing all of his previous victims. He hadn’t bothered telling what he did with the first four victims. It seemed he had wanted to torment them, so he described, in detail, what he did to Penny’s father. He said he had specifically targeted him because he was Penny’s father. Rudy had a feeling that he had wanted to strike where it hurts the most. The heart. If shattering a poor girl’s soul was what he had intended, then he certainly succeeded in doing that.

Rudy was utterly horrified and disgusted when the hybrid zoner explained what he had done to Mr. Sanchez. He talked about how he had tortured him. He had strapped the man down on a table in some other part of this forsaken place, and started to bite him with his fangs, injecting his burning venom to char the poor man on the inside. And after that, he tore the man’s jaw from its hinge when the man had apparently insulted him. Then, slowly, he ripped the man’s limbs off, one by one, and let him slowly bleed to death.

The hybrid zoner described how hard it was to butcher the man after that, cutting his body into pieces for easier transport. He said how he was leaving them out in the heat somewhere so they’ll dry. He said he won’t be able to eat them until all the liquid was completely dried up.

And he said all this with a smile on his face. His tone was casual, like he was just talking about the weather. He had kept his eyes locked on Penny’s most of the time. He seemed happy with her reaction, the way that she quickly fell apart when he described her father’s fate. And as Penny cried harder, Bardot’s voice seemed to rise in volume. It was like he wanted to make sure Penny heard every word as he told the story of what happened to her father.

And just when he thought Bardot couldn’t say anything else cruel, he had gone over to Penny and showed off his necklace to her. He said that the tooth he wore came from her father. He mockingly told her to pay her respects and watched her cry for about a minute before he moved away from her. He was sick...he was vile...

Rudy was glad that, afterwards, Bardot left, giving them sometime alone without having to stare at his mug. Surprisingly, they were released from their restraints, though Bardot informed them that, soon, they would be put back in the chairs. It wasn’t like they could go anywhere, anyway. They had no magic chalk...

Rudy felt so helpless without the magic chalk. He felt like there was absolutely nothing he could do. He was free, no longer tied down to the chair. But this was ony temporary, and might have been done not to make him feel better, but to make him feel more trapped, because he would have the freedom of movement, but nowhere to go. If he had magic chalk, he would be able to save Penny and himself, but his captors were careful to make sure he had no magic chalk with him. Same thing with Penny. They were both chalkless.

There was only one place out of here, and that was where Draow was. The large wolf bat was asleep, but he was laying in the doorway, his face turned towards them. They wouldn’t be able to sneak around him without waking him up. Neither of them could jump that far, and Draow would surely hear or smell them if they got too close. They were completely trapped in here, in the company of two vicious zoners who were eager to torture them.

Rudy, as gently as he could, held Penny in his arms. She had ran to him as fast as she could after they were both released from the chairs. This was after Bardot told his little ‘story’ to them. Penny was so distraught, so heartbroken over what happened, she just wrapped her arms around Rudy and hugged Rudy. Her body shaking, she refused to let go.

He rubbed her back gently, trying to think of someway to comfort her. He felt his shoulder get moist as Penny cried into it. Her body shook with emotion, sobs wracking through, as she continued to cry. It hurt Rudy to see Penny this way. He wished he could comfort her, but he couldn’t think of anything to say to this. She had just lost her father. It was...going to take a long time to recover from it.

He was horrified and shocked at how casually Bardot said all those things. It was like he didn’t think it was a big deal, like he was just talking about the scores on the next football game or something. He either didn’t know how big of a deal of what he did was, or he did know, but he chose to forget. He had absolutely no remorse for what he did. And his reaction to Penny’s crying...the way he looked happier, the he way he laughed... Rudy really wanted to give him a good punch.

Rudy held Penny close to him, tightly but gently. He looked down at her, tears dripping from his eyes as he watched his girlfriend cry her heart out. He wished he could take the pain away. He wished he could make things better for her. But there was nothing at all he could do. He just held onto her, trying to sooth her by whispering to her, trying to give her some hope that they would be rescued and Bardot and Draow would be brought to justice.

Rudy reached down and cupped Penny’s chin, tilting it so that she was looking at him. His heart felt like it was going to shatter into pieces when he saw how reddened and moist her eyes looked from all her crying. Her cheeks were red too, stained with the tears that drained from her eyes. She gave a loud sniffle and he could see fresh tears falling down, reflecting barely in the light of the torches.

“I promise...we’ll get out of here soon...” Rudy said in a comforting voice. “And your father’s death won’t be in vain...”

A few whimpers escaped Penny’s throat. She stared at him, her eyes widened in fear. Rudy could feel her fingernails dig into his skin as she clung to him like no tomorrow. “What..what if we don’t...?”

Rudy moved his hand up and gently stroked her hair. “Never say ‘never’. That is what I learned when we tangled with Mr. Cosmo. Things looked bleak then. I know it seems hopeless now, but...trust me, Penny. Somehow...we’ll get out of this.”

Penny’s lower lip quivered. She pressed the side of her head against Rudy’s chest. She cried harder. Rudy could feel her tears dampen his shirt. “I..I hope you’re right Rudy...”

“We will.” Rudy said, trying to sound as hopeful as possible. He could sense a bit of doubt in Penny’s voice. He wanted to try someway to lift her spirits up a little. He ran his hand gently along the back of her head. “I promise we will.”

Penny didn’t sound like she was too reassured, as she just continued crying after that. She didn’t bother replying. If she had tried, her words would have been incomprehensible due to the sobs that took over her now. Rudy couldn’t stand seeing her like this. It just made him hate Bardot more. He was the reason she was such an emotional mess right now. To kill her father and then flaunt about it... Rudy hugged Penny a little tighter, trying to help her feel more secure.

He stared off at Draow, who was still asleep. He narrowed his eyes at him. That bastard was also a reason why they were in this mess to start with. He had been the one to drag them here, where no one may find them. He was blocking their way out, and if he dared get close, he would get bitten by those jaws.

Draow had hurt Penny, too. While Bardot went for her emotions, Draow went physical. He had cut her up, bruised her, threw her into the ground. He had attacked him as well. Rudy still felt pain from the wound on his side. It was still bleeding a little, even after this much time had passed. But Draow had hurt Penny more than him. She had a few more bleeding wounds and she looked worse off. This along with the thing about Penny’s dad...it made Rudy wonder if these two creeps were purposely targeting Penny more, make her suffer more...

He didn’t understand why at first, at least with Draow, since he thought, out of everyone, Draow would blame him the most for his master’s death. Penny didn’t have as big of a hand in his demise. Then he realized that the reason Draow might be messing with Penny more was to get to him. Draow knows how much he cares about Penny, how much he loves her, so part of his revenge is forcing him to watch her suffer. He growled at this realization. The bastard...

His mind turned to Snap. His expression softened a little as he thought about his friend, what he might be going through right now. No doubt Snap was worried sick about them. He and Penny had been gone for many hours now. They were abducted in the middle of the night, when his parents were sound asleep. When he checked the time after he had been untied from the chair on his cellphone, which was about the only thing he could do with it, it was about 6:30, 7:00. And now another hour has passed. They had been gone for 19, 20 hours...

Almost a full twenty-four hours without seeing his family, his friends... Twenty-four hours being trapped in ChalkZone with Penny, having been abducted by two monsters who wanted nothing more than to torture and torment them. Snap is probably calling a search party as he spoke now, trying to find him.

Rudy was worried. What if Snap doesn’t realize just where they are? He might think they are in the real world. He might come out and try to find them... Oh no...What if something happens to him? If Snap goes out in the real world to find them, if he takes that risk, what if he gets...rained on? What if he runs into danger somewhere? If something happened to him, he might never find out what it was. He could...he could die not knowing what became of his friend.

He hoped that, somehow, Snap would realize they were in ChalkZone and come looking for them. He was still fearful for his friend. He didn’t know how well he could stand up to Draow and Bardot. But Snap wasn’t the kind of guy to give up. He had often put himself in the line of fire for him and Penny. He knew Snap would do whatever it took to save them. Snap would find them...eventually.

He just hoped that, by the time he does find them, it wouldn’t be too late.

He heard claws scraping the ground. Tensing, he looked over at Draow. The bat wolf had woken up. He yawned, showing off his razor sharp teeth. He got up from the ground. Rudy thought, at first, Draow was going to come after them and do something else horrible. But instead, he was merely stepping aside for the other zoner. Bardot came walking in.

Rudy glared at him, his eyes burning with hatred. He held Penny protectively, trying to shield her from his sights. Bardot merely smiled at him. Rudy soon took notice of something the hybrid zoner was carrying in his mouth. When he got closer, Rudy stifled a scream when he saw what it was.

A human arm...

Bardot laid the arm in clear sight of the two teenagers. Despite Rudy trying to convince her not to look, Penny turned her head anyway. As soon as she locked eyes on the arm, she screamed and pushed herself further against Rudy, her body shaking harder.

It was clear that this was Mr. Sanchez’s arm. Rudy could see the signature ring that he wore in his middle finger. The arm looked very stiff and solid, having no sign of life in it whatsoever. It looked a little darker than usual, as if Bardot had...had cooked it... The smell of the dead arm hung thickingly in the air, making Rudy feel nauseous. It took all his strength and will power not to throw up in disgust.

Then came the most gruesome part. Bardot had started to eat the arm right in front of them. Penny hid her face, not wanting to see it. Rudy closed his eyes and looked away. But neither of them could block out the sounds of teeth slicing flesh, cracking against bone. They couldn’t ignore the swallowing, gulping sounds. They both shuddered, clearly disturbed and frightened by this.

The sound of Bardot eating Penny’s dad’s arm had two effects on Rudy. First, it sickened him. He couldn’t believe that Bardot would go as far as eat Penny’s deceased father right in front of her, especially shortly after telling her what he had done to him. It was truly vile, heartless, disgusting. He couldn’t stop the rage welling up inside of him. The only thing stopping him from doing anything was Draow’s presence, and the fact that this zoner was really fast. Likely, he wouldn’t even be able to catch him.

The other effect it had... Rudy realized that he was getting hungry. He had a feeling Penny wanted food as well. They hadn’t eaten anything all day. He didn’t think Bardot or Draow were going to allow him to eat, though. Why would they? They were heartless monsters. Rudy had a feeling that he and Penny would have to go through days without eating or drinking anything.

When it was all over, when the crunching and tearing sounds stopped, Rudy dared to open his eyes. He could see bones scattered on the ground. With one that Bardot broke off himself, he was picking his teeth. Bardot stared at the tip for a second and then tossed it away like it was garbage. Rudy growled at this, wanting so much to lunge at the monster.

Bardot slowly approached them. Rudy narrowed his eyes and held onto Penny. He gave a look that told Bardot not to get too close. This did not faze the yellow and red zoner. He paced around them once, making sure Penny got a glimpse of him. Smiling at her terrified reaction as well as Rudy’s protectiveness, Bardot moved around in front, turning around to face Rudy. His tail swished from side to side. His ears were perked straight up. An evil smile spread across his muzzle, his lips curling up a little to show a little bit of his teeth.

After a few moments of silence, when Bardot spoke, Rudy could have sworn that he must have been reading their minds.

“I take it you two are hungry. Aren’t you?” Bardot tilted his head a little to the side. “I know it’s been a while since your last meal. Almost twenty-four hours, right?”

“You’re not going to allow us to eat, are you?” Rudy said, his voice low. “Or drink either.”

Bardot chuckled at this. “You are a smart boy. You are correct... I cannot allow you two to eat or drink anything, not that you can here, in ChalkZone. No nourishment.” He sneered. “But even if you could consume chalk water and chalk food, it’s not like I am going to give you any of that. You see...I have my reasons.”

Rudy expected Bardot to get close to them, but he was a little surprised when he stayed where he was. Bardot hadn’t attempted to get to them, hadn’t attempt to hurt them. Not that it made the situation any better. After what he did to Penny’s dad, he knew he wasn’t safe around him. At any moment, he could strike.

“You see, human meat tastes better when it’s dry. Usually, I kill my victims, cut them up, and let them dry in the sun. But..for you two...I decided it would be best if I let you dehydrate to death rather than killing you outright. Less blood to drain out, less...real world liquid to clean up. So I won’t be killing you two. At least...not directly...”

“You’re...you’re horrible...” Penny managed to say.

“Perhaps, my dear...” Bardot said, sounding casual. He gave Penny a sideways glance. “Still, if I want to eat you, I have to let you dehydrate first. I cannot have real world liquid. But once you are all dry and chewy... Then I have nothing to worry about. You become...edible to me.”

Bardot began to pace around them again. He kept his distance, as if he knew Rudy would try to slug him if he got too close. He walked around him almost like a vulture circling prey. Rudy kept his eye on him the best he could. He tensed up whenever Bardot was behind him. He never knew if Bardot was going to go for a blow to the back or what.

Then Bardot stopped. He looked over at Draow. He used a paw to gesture for the beast to come over. Rudy’s eyes widened as Draow got closer to them. Everytime he took a step, the ground seemed to shake a little. He winced as he heard the claws tap on the ground, knowing just how sharp they were. Now Draow stood next to Bardot. Two pairs of gleaming eyes stared the two sixteen year olds down, causing Rudy to shudder.

“But don’t think for a second that this will be a...pleasant stay.” Bardot said, his voice going from sweet sounding to creepy in a matter of seconds. As he spoke, Draow lowered his head and got a little closer. “For you see...I needed someone like Draow to help me catch some prey. But to win his servitude, I offered something in exchange...” Bardot got closer, putting his face close to Rudy’s. “And that something...is you...”

Bardot pulled his head back before Rudy could strike him. He jumped a foot away, arching his back as he landed, tail high in the air. Draow let out a low growl, chalk drool dripping from his mouth. His eyes were fixated soley on Rudy.

“So for the next few days...you will be our...play things.” Bardot said. His voice grew darker as he said each word, and by the end, his words were intermixed with growls that sent chills down the teens’ spines. “Just because we aren’t going to kill you right away...doesn’t mean we can’t have a little..fun with you...”

At this, Bardot suddenly lunged forward. He grabbed Penny in his claws and yanked her away from Rudy. She let out a scream, calling to Rudy for help. Almost right away, Bardot threw her into the ground, pinning her down.

Rudy rushed forward, reaching his right hand out towards her. He realized, too late, what a big mistake that was...

Before he could react, he was suddenly aware of pressure on his right hand. He looked over and his eyes widened in horror when he saw Draow’s teal eyes staring at him. He snarled as he clamped his jaws on his hand and started to pull him back, keeping him away from Penny. Realizing what was about to happen, Rudy started to struggle, desperately trying to pull his hand out.

“No, please..don’t do it!” Penny begged, her eyes wide with fear. She tried to get herself free, but Bardot held her down. Unable to watch as Draow increased the pressure, Penny looked away.

Placing his left front paw across Penny’s head, Bardot gripped tightly and yanked her head up, pulling her eyelids open, and forced her to watch what was happening. He put his face next to hers and said, “Let’s watch this, shall we?”

Tears streamed down Penny’s face as she reluctantly watched. “Rudy...no... Draow, please! Let him go!”

Rudy felt himself being lifted into the air. His feet no longer touching the ground, he began to kick. Pain shot up his arm, mostly concentrated on his hand. He banged his weaker left hand against the side of Draow’s head. Despite being less mobile, he tried to use his left hand to pull the wolf bat’s jaws open, but to no avail. He stared, wide eyed, at Draow.

He felt his heart pounding. A cold feeling swept through his body. His breathing quickened. And it wasn’t just from the pain. He knew what Draow was about to do. Panicking, he tried to get free, thrashing violently in the air.

“Don’t do this!” Rudy pleaded. “Please no...”

He was unable to say anything more. His eyes widened, his pupils turning into dots, as a horrific pain started to take him over, followed by a crunching sound. Blood flowed from his right hand, down his arm. The warm liquid clung to his skin, contrasting with the cold tears of pain that dripped from his green eyes. Then Draow released him.

“Rudy!” Penny cried in horror.

Rudy laid on the ground, crying and yelling in pain. He clutched his right hand to himself. His body trembled from the pain and shock. He stared down at his right hand. He couldn’t believe it. It..it wasn’t possible. No...not this...

But he knew it was true. As he stared at his right hand, as he felt the chilling horror overtake him, he knew it was true.

Draow had crushed his right hand...


	17. Here Are The Rules

“What?” Rapsheeba cried in shock. “Who was here?!”

Blocky was just as surprised. “He did what?!”

Blocky and Rapsheeba had joined Snap in his living room. They sat down on his couch, while Snap himself was back in his chair, which he had set back up after Bardot had left. Both his zoner friends looked absolutely horrified, and he couldn’t blame them. They hadn’t expected something this bad to have befallen their two human friends.

Snap hadn’t contacted them right away. It had taken some time for him to recover from Bardot’s encounter. He was truly terrifying. He reminded him so much of Cosmo, except he was clearly worse. He was still shaken up by how close those venomous fangs were, how close he had been to dying...

He sometimes had bad dreams revolving around what happened to him over a year ago, when he almost lost his life to Mr. Cosmo. He had been close to death before. He had practically tasted it. He didn’t want to experience something like that again. He had lived through the nightmare once. He didn’t want to do it again.

After he had recovered enough to function properly, he walked over, though still shakingly, to his bedroom, where Bardot claims he had left something there for him. He looked around for the box he mentioned, and he found it under his bed. He knew it was from Bardot because it was colored red and yellow. He pulled it out and set it on his bed. He unhooked the clasps that kept it closed and opened it up and took a look inside.

Inside, he found exactly what Bardot said he would find. There was one card which had a list of rules of how to play the game and what was allowed and not allowed. He looked through the rules, reading each of them to make sure he understood them. The second card was a riddle, which he guessed once he solved, he would know where to go for the first ‘game’ that Bardot had set up somewhere, presumably without anyone noticing. Snap guessed that he did so when most zoners were asleep.

And of course, there was a radio, the one Bardot told him about. Snap had narrowed his eyes at the radio, since it would be useless to track down this baddie. For him, it was completely useless. He imagined Bardot would use it to taunt him, and perhaps comment on his progress. He wasn’t sure if Bardot would even know how he was progressing, unless there were hidden cameras everywhere.

At this thought, he shuddered and had looked around his room. He looked for any signs of cameras, but found nothing. He realized he was just being paranoid, but he didn’t know the full capabilities of Bardot yet. He had a feeling he was going to get a taste of that once he starts playing these ‘games’ of his. He still wasn’t sure what they entailed, but, given how cruel Bardot proved himself to be, it wasn’t going to be anything fun.

He had a feeling...no he knew, that once the games start, he was going to have to fight for his life. This guy talked about wanting to know how far he could go without dying, so he was going to make this a difficult trip. Snap couldn’t relax anymore. He couldn’t afford it. These games would be dangerous. He was going to do whatever he could to survive. And that was just to ‘win’ the ‘priviledge’ of saving his friends. After he survives the dangers of the games, he would need to survive the inevitable battle against Draow and Bardot. Would he be able to pull it off?

Snap was worried that he might not be able to make it. He was worried that he wasn’t strong enough to take on this challenge. Yet, despite that, he was still going to accept Bardot’s challenge. There was just too much at stake. He wasn’t going to stand idly by while his friends were being tortured. Even if he ended up dying before he got to them, he would rather have tried to save them than not at all.

Snap had contacted Blocky and Rapsheeba and asked them to come over. He mentioned over the phone that he got information on what happened to Rudy and Penny. When they tried to get him to explain over the phone, he said it would be easier to do in person. He waited by the door for them, since he knew it wouldn’t take long for them to arrive. When they did, he welcomed them in and took them into the living room.

And from there, he recounted what had happened. He told them about the break in, about Bardot pinning him down. He told them about Bardot wanting to play a game with him and how he had Rudy and Penny trapped somewhere. He informed them about how Bardot was going to kill the two creators if he failed to complete the games, and that even if he did win all the games, he would still need to fight Draow and Bardot before he could get his friends out of there.

And this horrified Blocky and Rapsheeba. They stared at him in shock, looking like they were expecting him to say he was joking, even though they knew Snap would never joke about something like this. They knew Rudy and Penny were in trouble, but they had no idea just how twisted and evil their captor was.

Snap looked at them sadly as they expressed utter disbelief and horror at what had transpired. They had asked him if he was okay, and he said he was. He didn’t tell them about how Bardot almost bit him just to freak him out. Though he did tell him about how he scraped his claw against his chest. There was no hiding the blood that formed there. Luckily, it wasn’t too deep so the bleeding didn’t really last too long. It still hurt quite a bit, though, despite it not being a bad cut, and it made Snap morbidly wonder how much it would hurt if the claws struck deeper.

Blocky straightened himself up, looking like he was prepared to jump off the couch. “We should go after them!”

Snap nodded his head. “I agree with you, Blocky. But sadly...the only way we can go after them is by playing these...games.” He winced as he said the last word. Games were supposed to be fun. They weren’t supposed to involve jeopardizing lives.

“But what if he’s lying?” Rapsheeba asked. “He might just be wanting you to waste your time so you don’t get there before it’s too late.”

Snap understood that Rapsheeba did have a point. He had considered that himself. There was a chance that these games were solely designed to keep him away from Rudy and Penny, to ensure he didn’t find them. And if that were the case, they were better off trying to make the straightest beeline they could manage all the way to where they were being held.

But Snap wasn’t so sure if Bardot was trying to waste his time. If this was all merely a distraction...he put a little too much work into it. Being half red chalk, he would have thought that if Bardot didn’t want him finding his friends in time, he could have just killed him, or not contact him at all. It seemed like all such a huge waste if he only wanted to use up his time.

For that reason, he thought that Bardot was being quite serious. He set up these ‘games’ because he really was giving Snap the opportunity to save his friends. That was about the only generous quality Snap could say Bardot had, and it wasn’t really that much. Bardot hadn’t even sounded worried if he lost, which would explain why he was allowing Snap a chance to save his friends. He must really enjoy the thrill and excitement of what he considers to be a game.

Snap shook his head. “With all the trouble he want through, I don’t think it would make much sense if this was just to stall time.” He explained. “Bardot doesn’t care if he’s caught. He sounded so..casual about it. He would take risks like this, just because he gets a kick out of it. If he really didn’t want me to find Rudy and Penny, then I don’t think he would have tried contacting me.”

Rapsheeba nodded her head. “True, but what if he already...” She flinched. “...took care of them?”

Snap felt his heart clench at that. There was no real way to tell if Bardot did keep Rudy and Penny alive or not. It sounded like he did, given that he is allowing him a chance to save them. But what if he had been lying? Bardot says he doesn’t lie, but there was still a chance that he did. Maybe he just said that as an attempt to make him more willing to believe anything he says. Maybe he was just doing this to mess with him, so he could laugh in his face when he found out his friends were dead...

But even so, even if Bardot was lying about that, he still had to try. What if they were still alive? What if they needed his help? He still felt like he had to do something. It was better to take the chance and go save them than just sit around doing nothing. If they were still alive, he would feel awful if he didn’t try to save them. And he knew Blocky and Rapsheeba felt the same way.

“We still have to try.” Blocky said.

“I agree. We should do something.” Rapsheeba said. She got off the couch. “I’ll contact some zoners to see if any of them can help us.”

Before she could take a step, Snap swiftly held up his hand. Rapsheeba stared at him with a confused expression as Snap shook his head. “Sorry, Rapsheeba... You can’t do that.”

“But...but why...?” Rapsheeba asked, her eyes wide. “It’s our best chance to...”

Snap shook his head again. “No. It’s..against the rules.”

“What?” Rapsheeba asked.

Snap pulled out the card with the list of the rules on it. “Yeah, it says here I am only allowed the help of two zoners. That’s it. If anyone else tries to help, Rudy and Penny would be...killed.”

“But how would Bardot know if someone else is helping?” Blocky asked. “It doesn’t make any sense.”

“I know...” Snap nodded his head in agreement. “I’m not sure either but...” He paused for a moment, his eyes downcast. He closed them and shook his head once. “I don’t want to take the chance. If Rudy and Penny could...die...if I break any of these rules, it is best I follow them exactly.”

“So..what are the rules?” Rapsheeba asked hesitantly.

Snap stared down at the card. “They are as followed.” Then he started to read the list.

“1. Only bring two friends with. Bring a third friend and your friends will perish.  
2\. No food or water. If you need to eat or drink, you may do so at the games’ locations.  
3\. No cheating or your friends will die.  
4\. Once you start a game, there will be a time limit to complete it.  
5\. If circumstances force you to leave a helper behind, you are denied the right to get a replacement.  
6\. No telling anyone else what you are doing, or I will kill your friends.  
7\. When you complete a game, a card will tell you where to go next.  
8\. Be wary. Nothing is as it seems.  
9\. There will be no second chances. Screw up and that’s it.  
10\. Above all, stay alive.”

When Snap finished, he set the card down and stared at this two friends. Their eyes were wide in shock, just like he expected them to. These rules were dark and sinister, especially the last one. Stay alive... That was what tipped Snap off to the fact that he will be fighting for his very life. These weren’t going to be fun games. They were going to be utter torture.

Blocky and Rapsheeba kept quiet for a few minutes. They weren’t sure what to say to this. They looked at each other, their eyes wide in shock and worry. They looked back at Snap, almost like they were expecting him to say more. When Snap didn’t say anything, neither did they. There was nothing but silence for a few minutes, no one saying anything. The only sound that could be heard was breathing.

After the two fully comprehended these...rules, Rapsheeba slowly sat back down on the couch. Her eyes were downcast, looking at the ground. Her expression was that of worry. Blocky turned to her and placed a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her. Although no words were said, Snap could tell that the two were fully understanding just how dangerous this was going to be. He felt bad for dragging them into this. He didn’t want to endanger more friends.

Yet, he had confidence in them. He had chosen them out of all zoners because he trusted them the most. They were his closest zoner friends and he knew how capable they could be. And he knew how much they cared for Rudy and Penny. They would still want to take the risk and try to save them, even if it meant putting themselves in danger.

Snap looked at the second card, the one with the riddle. He wasn’t able to make heads or tails of it. He thinks that either Blocky or Rapsheeba would be able to figure it out for him. One of them might be able to tell him.

Before he asked them about the riddle, he took a moment to contemplate what was going on. A terrible realization slowly dawned on him. It was nice that he was allowed help. He was certainly going to need it. But if Bardot set up the rules so that he would be accompanied by two people, and that rule about not being allowed replacements...it made him wonder if Bardot purposely set up these ‘games’ so that he would have a hard time without help. It made him start to worry about just how difficult they were going to be...to survive...

He feared for Blocky and Rapsheeba. Was Bardot going to kill them if they were forced to be left behind? He hadn’t mentioned that in the rules. There was nothing stating they would be killed, but...he didn’t really want it to get to the point where he would find out. He thought briefly of maybe convincing them to stay behind, but he couldn’t do that, not after he already told them what was going on. They were going to go with him even if he tried to stop them. And again, he needed their help. They had little time to waste. They had to find Rudy and Penny, and the only way to do it was by playing these most sinister games...

“Where to first, Snap?” Blocky asked, forcing Snap out of his thoughts. “Did this...Bardot guy tell you where the first game is?”

Snap shook his head. “He gave me a riddle I had to solve.” He looked at the card. “Once it’s solved, we will know where to begin the first game.”

“You haven’t solved it yet?” Rapsheeba asked.

Snap said, “No. I haven’t been able to figure it out.” He stared at his two friends. “I was hoping you guys could help me.”

“Well sure, we’ll help.” Blocky said, giving the best smile he could despite the circumstances. “Read us the riddle.”

Before Snap could say anything, he heard a beeping sound. He looked around, trying to find it. He told his friends to wait. He looked around his home, trying to find the source of the sound. He soon found it was coming from his bedroom. And that is when he saw it.

He could see a flashing red light. It blinked everytime there was a beep. It was coming from the box, which he had left on his bed. He looked down and saw it was the radio that was given to him by Bardot. The small light on the side was flashing red. He picked it up and stared at it. He wondered if it was Bardot trying to contact him. He narrowed his eyes. Right now, the last person he wanted to talk to was Bardot. But, although it wasn’t listed as a rule, he had a feeling Bardot would do something drastic if he did not answer him.

He headed back into the living room, holding the radio in his hands. He sat back down on his chair. Blocky and Rapsheeba looked at him expectantly. They glanced down at the radio, and, judging from their expressions, they also seemed to suspect that it was Bardot trying to say something to them.

Although Snap really didn’t want to, he slowly pressed the button below the red dot, which he assumed would answer Bardot’s ‘call’, or whatever this could be considered. As soon as he pressed it, the beeping stopped. And for a while there was just silence. But when Snap listened more closely, he could hear something on the other line. Breathing...

Then a dark chuckle. Although a little faded and staticy from the radio, it still chilled Snap, Rapsheeba, and Blocky, filling the room with dread. In the background, Snap could have sworn he heard crying. Rudy and Penny....? Just what had those monsters done to them?

“Ah...good. You answered. I needed to make sure this thing worked.” Bardot’s voice came. He sounded even creepier with the imperfections of the radio. “I take it you have chosen two zoners to be your companions during the games.”

Snap snarled. “Yes...I have...” It took a lot of willpower not to chew the guy out.

Bardot said, “Good, good. You know what to do then, Snap White.” Snap flinched as he mentioned his last name again. He had to wonder...how did this guy know it? “Get started soon. And as for your human friends...they are still alive. You might have heard some crying before. That was them, in case you were wondering if I killed them already. Oh how I would love to...And how easy it would be, too...”

At this, Blocky and Rapsheeba looked utterly horrified. They just got a taste of just how cruel this guy really was. Snap glared towards the radio. He knew Bardot probably couldn’t see him, but he didn’t care. He just glared hatefully at the device, wishing that he could track the bastard down and make him regret everything he’s done.

“You will not get a chance, Bardot.” Snap said bravely. “I will make sure of that.”

Bardot laughed. “I still admire your willpower, Snap. I do wonder if you will actually be a challenge for me. A real opponent...” He paused for a moment. “I do hope you make it through the games, Snap. I would...just love to see just what you are capable of. When you do find me....give me your best shot and don’t hold back.”

Snap growled, “You can bet I am going to give it my all...”

Bardot was not intimidated by the way Snap said that. If anything, it just made him more excited. This sickened Snap. No matter what he said to this guy, it just seemed to make him happier. There was nothing he could say to make this guy feel afraid. Everything, he just shrugs off. This was a lot like...Cosmo...

Snap recalled how Mr. Cosmo also took insults in stride. He hardly seemed offended by anything said to him. He just smiled and let it roll down his back like it was nothing. It wasn’t until the end did Mr. Cosmo start to react more emotionally, more negatively to what was said to him. And that frightened Snap. He knew how Mr. Cosmo reacted when everything fell apart. And Bardot..he was worse. What was he going to be like if he eventually lost his cool...?

“I mustn’t keep you waiting. Time is ticking.” Bardot said. “Solve the first riddle quickly. After you complete each game, I will contact you, and give you an update on...your friends’ condition.” Snap’s eyes widened at this. “I will also inform them on how well you are performing. I’m sure they would love to know.”

Rapsheeba swallowed and asked, “How will you know when a game is completed?”

Cold laughter emitted from the radio. “Oh my dear...Rapsheeba I believe your name is...”

“How did you know my name?” Rapsheeba asked, horrified.

Snap was just as startled. “How did you know who I...”

“Well that’s a secret. A secret isn’t a secret if I tell, now is it?” Bardot said tauntingly. “If you survive multiple games...maybe I will tell you a little more. For now, I think I will just enjoy the fun of listening to you squirm as you try to figure out how I know these things...” He chortled darkly. “Oh yes. This shall be quite entertaining.”

“You...!” Snap tried to say, but Bardot cut him off.

“I bid you farewell.” Bardot said.

There was a click, then the light went out. All noise from the radio stopped immediately.

Snap, Rapsheeba, and Blocky just stared at the radio. Slowly, they looked at each other. For a few minutes, silence filled the room. Bardot’s contact was unexpected. And what he said didn’t help the mood either. Snap felt anger rise up inside of him. Bardot really did see this all as a game. The way he talked...it was despicable.

His body shaking in anger, Snap jumped out of his chair. Rapsheeba and Blocky stared at him. Snap looked over at the door, then back down on the radio. He then turned his head towards Rapsheeba and Blocky.

“Come on. Let’s get started.”


	18. Let The Games Begin

Terry parked her news van on the side of the street, not far from where she had seen Snap. She stepped out of the van and locked it, placing her keys in her pocket. She got out her umbrella and opened it. It was still raining. She walked slowly over towards the house. She looked it up and down. It looked more worn than she thought. She wondered just how old this house was and why it hadn’t been torn down yet. Maybe no one just got around to it yet.

She walked up towards the door and peered inside through the window. She didn’t see much of anything. It was a little dark. She turned the door handle and went inside. She made sure to shut it behind her. She closed her umbrella, shaking off some of the water onto the ground. She took a bit of time to look around the building.

It was quite dusty, with cobwebs everywhere. She didn’t know why any sane person would want to come in here. Some wood was rotting in a few places. Some areas looked like they were falling apart. The house, surprisingly, overall was holding up better than she thought. Some of this stuff could easily be repaired, though she thinks it would be better if it was just destroyed. No one had attempted the buy the house for decades, and it just looks out of place in this part of town.

She took a few steps further inside. Her hands on her hips, she looked around. She tried to figure out where Snap could have gone to. There had to be a chalkboard around here somewhere. One with a working portal. There was no other reason why Snap would have gone into this building. If he had just been wanting to escape the rain, he would have went into the nearest building; he skipped it in favor of this one.

She knew that, sometimes, zoners left smudge marks in the real world. They weren’t common, and she didn’t know of many incidents where this occured. She knew the school bully, Reggie, mentioned about Snap White leaving blue markings on his paper work. Maybe, with how much of a hurry he was in, Snap left markings on the ground here. She looked down and tried to find them.

She soon saw a little bit of blue. Narrowing her eyes, she kneeled down and touched it, collecting it on her fingers. She lifted her finger up and stared at it. The blue coloration seemed to be the right shade to be from Snap. She rubbed her two fingers together, feeling its texture. Yeah it was chalk all right. Definite proof that Snap was in here, not that she needed it since she saw him run into this old building.

She looked around on the ground some more and found more blue smudges. She smirked when she saw there was a bit of a trail. She followed it, letting it lead her to wherever Snap had gone. It lead her up some rickety flight of stairs and into what she guessed was an old bedroom.

Upon entering it, she could tell that this room had belonged to an artist. There were some art supplies on the ground. Not a lot, but enough that told her, whoever had lived here, spent some time painting. And sitting in the corner, she could see a blackboard. It looked pretty dirty. The edges looked almost moldy. The artist who lived here may have done some chalk drawings as well, or they used the blackboard to work on formulas...though that didn’t make much sense.

Oh well, it wasn’t of her concern. What she was more interested in was what was on the blackboard itself. Her smile broadened when she saw what she had been hoping to see. Just like she had predicted, there was a portal into ChalkZone.

She was a bit confused by the blue outline. She hadn’t seen that before. Oh well, probably a different type of chalk. She didn’t have doubts there’d be other types of magic chalk in that world. She wouldn’t put much past a world where anything drawn comes to life.

Terry walked up to the chalkboard, staring at the portal. She looked through it. She could see it was definitely ChalkZone it lead into. She felt excitement rise up inside of her. She now had proof of this place’s existence. All she had to do now was get a broadcaster to see thsi. She would have another chance to show Plainsville, the world, that she wasn’t crazy. She would prove to them that she hadn’t lost her mind, that she had been speaking the truth all along.

She grabbed the chalkboard and started to lift it up. Then a thought came across her mind. She set it back down. No, she couldn’t take this thing with her. If she did, she would move the portal around. If Snap saw it move, or if he saw it was in a new location, he would know something was up. And since she had no magic chalk, she couldn’t erase the portal. She couldn’t go into ChalkZone to get magic chalk because she wouldn’t know where to get some. So she had no choice but to leave the portal here and bring a broadcaster over.

But what if the blue boy did try to erase the portal? She wasn’t sure of the likelihood of a zoner erasing a portal, but she didn’t want to take that chance. She had to find a way to keep this portal open, at least long enough for her to get a broadcaster to come to this place. She looked around the room. Maybe the artist who lived here had something she could use.

She soon found something that she found useful. Some kind of thick, heavy cloth. She wasn’t sure what it was called, but she’s seen it before. Some artists use it to cover their art, maybe to protect them from the elements or something. She placed the cloth over the chalkboard. She grabbed some sharp artist tool she found on the ground and cut along the glow she knew was ChalkZone’s day light. She removed the cut piece and took a step back.

She stared at what she did. Yes, this would do nicely. She had made sure the cloth was secured tightly around the chalkboard, ensuring that Snap wouldn’t be able to move it that easily. It was no guarantee it’ll buy her enough time, but it would certainly make things a little easier for her. And the cloth was a bit on the heavy side, too. She doubted Snap would have an easy time removing it.

Now all she had to do was contact someone from a news station. A broadcaster that would listen to her, and give her a chance. All she would have to do was show them this portal, and everything would be set. There was no way they could think she made something like this up. As soon as they stepped into ChalkZone and saw just how real it truly was...yes they would definitely believe her then.

Terry stared into the portal. She narrowed her eyes slightly. She knew that this world had something to do with those disappearances. And once she exposed ChalkZone, an investigation would be underway. Detectives would be sent in, and they would find where the missing citizens have gone to. And their families would find out what happened to them. They deserved to know the truth, and it angered her that Rudy and Penny had tried so hard to keep it a secret. At a time like this, it was best not to keep secrets such as this.

She did still feel bad for them, though. She had never wanted them to disappear like the other victims. She would never have wished this fate on them. Although it made things easier for her, with them out of the way and all, a part of her still hoped, deep down, that they would be okay.

A lightning bolt flashed, lighting up the room. Terry nearly jumped up into the air. Her body shaking, she took a few steps away from the window. Another flash and she started to move out of the room. She could hear the sound of thunder rolling across the skies. She heard the ran fall harder on the ground. She needed to get out of here and back home before the roads became too water logged to be driven on.

It had been raining since she saw Snap rush into this building. Hours of rain, and it never let up. She heard a report there was going to be a flash flood warning. And Plainsville was due to have a few severe thunderstorm warnings as well. Horrible weather... She hated it.

As she left, she didn’t notice that the window in the bedroom had a crack in it. She didn’t notice a bit of lightning had struck it, breaking off a piece. She was unaware of the rain pouring into the room. Along the window’s edge, water rolled over and onto the hard floor. The rain collected into a small puddle and started to spread...

...towards the chalkboard.

sss

Snap wasn’t sure what to make of this. He wasn’t sure if Bardot was quite serious about this, or if he had somehow, made a mistake. He took a look around. Something about it didn’t seem right. Was this really the right place?

Snap, Rapsheeba, and Blocky stood on the outskirts of the playground, one Snap had played in from time to time a few years ago. He hadn’t come here that often, but it’s not like a lot changed. Maybe a few additions here or there, but it was still overall, the same playground. It didn’t look like it was anything too special, at least not something he felt would have caught Bardot’s eye. If this was supposed to be one of his dangerous games...he wasn’t getting it.

He had read the riddle to Blocky and Rapsheeba. It took them a while to answer it. Maybe ten minutes. When Rapsheeba suggested playground, Snap almost laughed. The riddle itself didn’t seem like it had anything to do with a playground. But Blocky agreed with her. Confused, Snap asked them to explain. They described, in detail, why they came to that conclusion, and when they had spelled it out for him, it really did make sense.

With nothing else to go on, Snap decided they should go to the playground. Where else could they go? They had to at least try. They didn’t have all the time in the world to find Rudy and Penny. They had to get started on these...games that Bardot had set up, somehow without anyone realizing what was going on.

The playground was completely empty. He wasn’t sure why at first until he saw a sign on the edge. ‘Warning: Closed’... Bardot must have put that there. He must not have wanted anyone else to interfere with his games. Perhaps he was worried that someone else might ‘ruin his fun’... Snap growled at that thought.

He, Rapsheeba, and Blocky walked around the playground for a bit, looking for anything out of place or suspicious. After a few minutes, they didn’t find anything. Not at first anyway. But soon, Blocky came running towards him and Rapsheeba. There was something in his hand that he was waving back and forth frantically. It was a piece of paper.

“Hey guys! Look what I found!” Blocky shouted. He stopped in front of his two friends, holding the piece of paper in his left hand.

“Well, don’t leave us hanging.” Rapsheeba said. “Tell us what it says!”

Blocky unfolded the paper and looked down at it. “Welcome to the first game. Your task here is a scavenger hunt. Locate all the items on this list, but it must be done in order. Go out of order, and you lose the game. The final item will have a card attached to it with a riddle to the next time. Good luck.”

Snap looked at him, perplexed. “Are you sure that’s what it says?”

Blocky nodded his head. “If you don’t believe me, here it is.” He handed Snap the card.

Snap looked over it, wondering if Blocky misread a sentence or overlooked something. To his surprise, he did not. What Blocky said was exactly what the note had read. The only thing after it was a list of items to locate.

Snap couldn’t understand it. He thought that these games were supposed to be life threatening. Bardot certainly made it sound like it was going to be that way. He would have expected something like avoiding gunfire or being breathed on by a fire spewing dragon. But not a scavenger hunt. That was...pretty harmless. All they were doing was looking for items, eventually finding one that would take them to the next game. How dangerous could that be?

He soon realized that maybe..it was designed to make him lower his guard. Perhaps the items they’d have to find would be dangerous. Or maybe he would be tricked into not giving it his all, and by the next time, he would be killed in the first ten seconds. No, despite his confusion and disbelief, he couldn’t allow his guard to be lowered. He had to take this seriously and approach with caution.

He was ripped from his thoughts when the ground started to shake. He and his friends looked over and watched in utter shock as a large timer rose out of the ground. The time on it flashed 5:00. This game was going to last five minutes. And there was a lot of items on the list they would have to find. Second later, the timer started to count down.

“Okay, what’s the first thing we have to find?” Rapsheeba asked, turning to Snap.

Snap looked at the list. He scanned his eyes up and down, trying to find where the top of the list was. When he found it, he stared at it for a few seconds. “Okay, first thing one list is...a tire.”

“A tire? But since when would a playground...” Blocky started to say.

“It must be talking about the tire swingset!” Rapsheeba said. She made a motion with her hand. “Come on!”

The trio ran over to the tire. Sure enough, when they got there, the tire had some kind of mark on it. It was the same mark that was written next to each item. This was definitely one item they had to find. But there was something strange about this tem. There appeared to be a button underneath it. He looked over at the timer and noticed some empty dots along the sides of the numbers. Maybe he was supposed to press it.

Cautiously, he pressed it. The tire began to glow a little. And when he looked over at the timer, one of the dots filled in. Perhaps that was what he was supposed to do. He figured, as he would find each item, and pressed each button, it would fill up the timer and then it would stop when they were done. He guessed that it was from the deactivated timer that they would find the clue to the next game.

Snap looked down at the list. “Okay...next thing is the swingset.”

“Well that’s pretty easy to find.” Rapsheeba said. She headed over to the swingset. She took notice of the button. She looked over at Snap. “Should I push it?”

Snap nodded. “It seems like we are supposed to.”

She did so. Same thing happened before. The swingset began to glow a little and, up on the timer, another dot filled up. Though something did look a little off about the timer. He could have sworn it, too, started to glow. Maybe he was just seeing things.

Before they continued to the next item, which was the monkey bars, Snap let Rapsheeba and Blocky look at the list as well. He let them study it. Both of them had good memories, and there weren’t too many items on the list. So it was easy to remember what order they were in. Snap felt it would be easier this way so they could all go and push these buttons in less time.

Snap looked at the list once more. All of the items were in plain sight, now that he thought about it. Nothing was obscure or hidden. Was this really one of Bardot’s games? Because he would have thought he’d put more effort into it. Listening things that are out in the open doesn’t really count as a scavenger hunt. Usually the items would be a bit harder to find. But listing obviously seen things like the swingset? Really? That was the best this guy could come up with?

He looked over at the time. Then again, with just five minutes total for them to find everything, perhaps it was best that the items were easy to find. They would be able to find everything pretty easily in that amount of time, and all the buttons would be pressed, which he assumed that’s what they had to do. Then this game would be won and they would be one step closer to finding Rudy and Penny.

He had a feeling things were just going to get worse later on. He suspected that this game was nothing more than a mere warm up. In video games, he knew that it started off pretty easy and only got harder later on as the player learned more skills and got the hang of it. Bardot’s games may be just like that. Easy, and then increasing in difficulty.

As they continued the scavenger hunt and found more items on the list, as more buttons were pressed and the circles on the timer filled up, Snap started to get suspicious. The timer really was glowing now. A whitish yellow. Something told him that wasn’t a good thing, but it wasn’t like he could stop. If he didn’t finish before the timer ran out, he would have lost the game, and Rudy and Penny would die. But still, something about this whole thing just didn’t feel right to him.

And the whole thing was just...too easy. He wanted to chalk it up to being a ‘beginner’ kind of level. But ultimately that didn’t make much sense to him. Bardot didn’t seem to be the kind of guy to make things this easy. He thought about his earlier concerns about him lowering his guard. Perhaps...perhaps that’s what he was doing.

Snap took a look around. He took note of the items they had found, the way they were glowing. He looked up at the timer, which had the same glow as the items they found. He looked back and forth between them. Slowly, something clicked in his mind. He wondered if they were playing right into a trap.

He watched as Rapsheeba and Blocky worked through the remainder of the items. They, in the proper order, went to items such as the slide, the merry-go-round, and one of those horse-things that kids like to play on. More items glowed. And the glow on the timer just increased more.

“There’s just one more item left.” Blocky said, running up to Snap.

“And what would that be?” Snap asked. He tried to hide his worry from before. Maybe he was just overthinking this.

Rapsheeba pointed over to what appeared to be the center of the playground. “The pole right there. I’ll go take care of it!”

Snap watched as Rapsheeba rushed over to the pole. He got that bad feeling again. He looked around the playground again. The way the objects were positioned was odd. And why was the timer glowing so brightly now? Snap tried to figure out what was going on. The buttons, the glowing, the positions of the objects...they had to mean something.

He stared at the pole. Rapsheeba was almost to it. In a few seconds, she would press the button. Then this game would be over.

...or would it?

Snap looked around the playground again. He took a few steps back so he could get a better view. It was only by moving back that he started to notice something strange about the floor the playground they were standing on. There were lights shining, and they looked like they were connecting the objects together, in a sense. And the items...they were arranged in a circle. And the pole was in the dead center of it all.

Horrific realization struck Snap. He had a feeling he knew what was going to happen if Rapsheeba pushed the final button. He started to run towards her. A confused Blocky rushed after him.

“Snap, what’s wrong?” Blocky asked.

Snap ignored him, his attention focused on Rapsheeba. He reached his hand out, calling out to her in desperation. “Wait! Don’t press it!”

But it was too late. As soon as he said it, Rapsheeba had already pressed the button. She turned her head over to him, looking confused.

“What? I thought I was supposed to press it.” Rapsheeba said. She was going to say more, but a low rumbling silenced all three of them. They looked around at what was going on.

Their eyes widened in horror. The timer’s glow had gone a blood red, and they swore they heard a distorted and drawn out version of Bardot’s voice sounding out from a timer, and they had a sickening feeling that they would hear this every time a game was completed. But the red glow and unexpected laughter weren’t the only things that have them scared right now.

Snap’s suspicions turned out to be right. There was something wrong. Very wrong, and he had realized it too late.

The glow he thought he saw from before brightened, and now it was clear as day. The items that were glowing also shifted to a red color. They started to shake a little, and then they heard the rumbling below them grow louder. It felt as thought something large had been turned on. Then the ground started to shake violently.

The trio gave a scream when the shaking got so bad they fell to the ground. Snap struggled to his feet, but was horrifed when his leg started to sink into the sand. He looked all around them. The ground was...it was being sucked down. The playground equipment started to break apart. The pole had already sunk down below. And they were being pulled closer to the center. Snap tried to push himself away, but the force of the sand was too strong.

Rapsheeba let out a cry of terror. “Snap! Blocky! Look!”

When Snap looked in the direction she was pointing, he felt his heart freeze. The edges of the playground, they were...not normal. It looked as though the playground was cut out by a giant saw. He looked down at the pole, and it took all his strength not to scream at what he saw. The sand had parted, exposing a black abyss below, only it wasn’t empty. There was something down there, twisting, churning, and chopping. Some large machine, and it was sucking them all down....

Gravity was also at work. The three held onto some objects, which were secured to the playground floor when this area was created. But they were still being lowered towards this machine. They were descending faster and faster. Snap looked all around, realizing in terror, that it looked as though they were going down a waterfall, only with sand instead of water. And instead of rocks, they were going towards a machine that could easily crush and grind their bones. They needed a way to get out, and fast.

He then saw the monkey bars. They were still pretty close to the edge. If they could just get up there, they could survive this.

“Blocky! Rapsheeba! Quick!” Snap started to jump from item to item, the ones that hadn’t already fallen down to the grinding machine. He winced as he heard the metal being easily ripped apart. “Get to the monkey bars! We can pull ourselves out!”

Rapsheeba and Blocky wasted no time. Working together, they jumped from object to object. They slowly scaled upwards, along with Snap. With each object they landed on, they had to climb up as high as they could go, then muster up the strength to jump to the next one. And it wasn’t always easy doing this. But they still managed to, slowly, scale upwards.

Then they got to the monkey bars. Blocky was the first one to jump up onto it. Despite having short arms, he was able to keep a pretty tight grip. Snap jumped up and grabbed onto his feet. Blocky swung himself back and forth and was able to thrust Snap high enough to reach over the edge of the pit.

Rapsheeba was next. She jumped up and reached for Blocky’s feet. She grabbed on. Like with Snap, Blocky swung her back and forth, gathering up the energy to throw her. When he did, Rapsheeba flew over the edge and crashed into Snap. The two fell to the ground.

The two of them returned to the edge. They looked down, horrified, as Blocky started to go closer to the machine. They called out to him, encouraging him to climb up. They reach their hands down towards him, beckoning him to come up faster. Blocky looked like he was having a hard time climbing the monkey bars. He was trying, but he found it hard to keep his footing and he slipped. And as each second passed by, he was getting further and further away.

Finally, when he made it to the front of the monkey bars, he looked up. He was still a good distance away. And it looked as though he wasn’t going to make it. But Blocky wasn’t one to give up that easily. Narrowing his eyes, Blocky tightened the muscles in his legs. He took in a deep breath, and he jumped into the air.

Time seemed to freeze for Snap as Blocky jumped towards him and Rapsheeba. They pushed themselves closer to the edge, reaching out as far as they could towards him. Then Blocky started to lower before he got to them, and Snap was worried they weren’t going to be able to save him.

“Gotcha!” Rapsheeba said as she grabbed onto one of Blocky’s arms.

“Me too!” A relieved Snap said as he managed to get Blocky’s other arm.

Working together, they pulled Blocky out of the pit. Then all three of them collapsed on the ground, taking in quick breaths, trying to calm themselves down. Their minds swirled with thoughts of what just happened. Their bodies started to shake as they realized just how close to death they had been.

And what was worse...was that this was only the beginning. Game one. That’s it. The death pit plan that Bardot clearly implemented...that was only for the first game. The thought scared all three of them. It was then that they realized just how dangerous these games were going to be. Each one was going to have a death trap for them to avoid. Something that could kill them if they weren’t careful.

Snap grew nauseated as an unsettling thought crossed his mind. If this was the death trap they had to survive for the very first game...

...then what was the next death trap going to be?


	19. You Can't Hide Anything From Me

Snap, Rapsheeba, and Blocky were shaken up by what had just happened. For a few minutes, they did not move, dared not to breathe. The fact that they were almost sucked down by a grinding machine terrified them. They all had been so close to losing their lives. None of them had suspected that something like that was going to happen.

Snap did have thoughts that something terrible would happen. But nothing like that. He never would have thought that Bardot, somehow, was able to build something underneath the park without anyone knowing. The fact he was able to do it without being seen...it frightened him. He knew that most zoners wouldn’t be able to do such a thing with no one noticing. Bardot must have been using that blue chalk to create all this, and when no one was around, too.

Out of the three of them, Blocky was the most terrified. Snap understood why. He was the one who was the closest to..dying. He had almost fallen into the grinding machine himself. He almost got sliced up like shredded cheese. He was lucky to have made it out at all.

And the fact that this was only the first game, with many more deathtraps awaiting them, made Snap sick to his stomach. The other deathtraps would likely be harder to avoid. He didn’t know what could top that grinding machine, though. And he wasn’t sure if he really wanted to find out what more Bardot was capable of. Yet he had no choice. He had to keep going. If he, Rapsheeba, and Blocky remain on their toes, they would be able to survive and get to their human friends in time.

He knew he didn’t have a lot of time to find them. Only a couple days at most. He knew that Bardot wouldn’t feed his friends at all during their little ‘stay’ with him. His friends would either starve to death or die of dehydration if he didn’t get there in time. Both were incredibly painful deaths. The fact that Bardot was so willing to let them die slowly and painfully like that infuriated Snap.

Just then, that same beeping could be heard again. The same one that they heard back at his place where Bardot first contacted them via radio. Blocky and Rapsheeba looked at him, worried expressions on their faces. They stared at the radio warily. Snap didn’t want to answer it, but seeing as he had no choice, he pressed the button.

“I see you have survived the first death trap...” Bardot said gleefully. “Congratulations.”

Snap growled at that. That compliment was laced in sarcasm, a clear attempt to taunt him. It sounded as though Bardot did expect him to survive that first game.

Bardot paused for a moment. “It was quick thinking..the way you used the monkey bars to climb up. Too bad that you almost lost a party member there...”

His cold chuckle caused Blocky to shiver from fright. Rapsheeba put her hand on him in an attempt to comfort him. Snap’s eyes narrowed as Bardot taunted Blocky about the fact that he almost died. He couldn’t wait until he made this bastard shut up.

“But at least he managed to survive. You will need all the help you can get, little Snappy.” Bardot mocked, putting emphasis on his nickname for Snap. “Take this as a warning. Do not underestimate any of my games. If you do, one of you could very easily perish.”

Blocky and Rapsheeba didn’t say anything. They just stared at the radio in fright. Snap was frightened, too. He tried to look brave, but Bardot was shaking him up, reminding him that, yes, things were about to get so much worse for them. His body shuddered as he tried to imagine what more awaited them. Just what kind of death traps would they have to survive later down the line? How much harder would it be to complete them in time?

Snap wanted to shut off the radio. He couldn’t stand hearing Bardot’s voice. He couldn’t stand hearing his chilling laughter, mocking them on their progress. Yet he could not. Somehow, Bardot would know what they were doing. The fact that he knew exactly what happened, with the monkey bars and Blocky almost falling down....that chilled him to the core. The cold realization swept through him like a tidal wave. There was only one way he could have known all that.

He had hidden cameras...somewhere. He looked around. He didn’t see any. But they were there, somewhere. Snap had a horrible thought. Maybe the cameras were tiny...floating everywhere. He froze, looking left and right. With zoner usable magic chalk, Snap wouldn’t doubt that Bardot would use it to his advantage at every turn. And if he was so obsessed about him ‘following the rules’...

...then he must have small, microscopic cameras floating everywhere, following him and his friends at every turn. And if that is the case, then they really couldn’t get away with anything. He would see it all. And the minute they did one thing, no matter how small, that broke the rules, then Rudy and Penny would pay the price.

“I have informed your friends on your progress.” Bardot said, sounding a little too cheerful to Snap. “I told them that you almost got sucked down into that twisting, grinding, crunching machine I created for you. They weren’t too happy as I described to them how it happened.” He gave a dark laughter. “Of course, I can’t really be surprised.”

“You’re a monster.” Snap growled under his breath.

“Y-Yeah. Tormenting two kids like that...” Blocky said, trying to sound brave. “Don’t you have any shame?”

A cold laughter. “Shame? Well..no, not really. I feel no regrets in what I’m doing. In fact, the only emotion I’m getting from all this is excitement.”

“That’s sick!” Rapsheeba grimaced.

“Oh if only you could see the looks on your friends’ faces right now. They’re scared...frightened. They’re hoping you will make it, Snap. They were..utterly horrified when they thought you were going to fall into that machine. And believe me, they are going to continue being frightened for you as I tell them all the things that happen to you during your little rendevous with my games.” Bardot said coldly. Although he coudn’t see them, Snap could picture the guy smiling evilly as he spoke. “And that’s not the only thing they will have to fear. During their stay, Draow and I will be...toying with them. That will be fun.”

“What?!” The trio cried out in shere and utter horror.

Bardot laughed at them. “Oh yes. You didn’t think they were just going to sit around all day, waiting for me or Draow to say something, now did you? Oh no...we will give them something to pass the time with. We will not kill them. But that’s not to say what we will do is any better.”

“If you hurt them...” Rapsheeba started to say, but Bardot cut her off with his icy laugh.

“It’s too late to stop us from hurting them. As of now, poor Rudy is a little ‘handy’ capped, if you know what I’m saying.” Bardot put emphasis on the word ‘handy’, like he was trying to hint at something.

Snap took only seconds to have an idea on what happened. He gasped, his eyes widening in shock. “You...you didn’t...”

“We did. Well Draow did anyway. You see, he’s been wanting to get back at Rudy for defeating the Dark Creator, his master.” Bardot sneered. “And now he had that chance. Oh how it must hurt so much...to have his right hand crushed... Both mentally and physically. The pain combined with the feelings of helplessness, the fact that he won’t be able to use magic chalk anymore...”

Snap felt his heart race as Bardot spoke. Rapsheeba and Blocky were just as horrified. Blocky was trembling. Rapsheeba was shaking her head in disbelief.

“What a shame, isn’t it? And you know what is worse for the boy?” Bardot’s voice got a little growlier. “That is only the beginning. And each time you complete a game, I will tell you what their condition is. I’ll even describe it all in detail for you, if you so like.”

“You...” Snap’s body started to shake from anger. He clenched his free fist tightly, squeezing the radio as hard as he could without breaking it. “I’ll get you for this...” He said through clenched teeth, his voice lower than usual.

“We will see about that, Snappy boy. First, you must complete the games.” A pause. “Rapsheeba, I know you have the clue for the next time. Read it, solve it, and go there. Don’t waste time.”

Shakingly, Rapsheeba pulled out the card. She looked at it, and slowly unfolded it.

“Good. You listened.”

That sent chills down their spines. They knew, without a doubt, that Bardot really was watching them. They felt vulnerable, looking around to try to find the hidden cameras that Bardot surely laid out for them.

Bardot could see everything they were doing. That was how he was going to be able to keep them from disobeying the rules. Snap knew there had to be hidden cameras, and he guessed they were, as he thought before, microscopic so he couldn’t see them. They must be floating around in the air, or even invisible, taking images of them constantly. They really weren’t able to do anything without him noticing.

Snap soon realized that he would have had no choice but to play the games if he wanted to find his friends. If Bardot could see everything he was doing, then he would know whenever he was trying to find his friends, and then kill them before he could get to them. He wouldn’t put it past Bardot to be cruel enough to wait until he got to the place where his friends were being held, and then kill them brutally right in front of him, just to mock him for his efforts.

“Figure out the puzzle.” Bardot said, sounding almost like an officer giving a command. “I will sit back and enjoy the show. I’ll leave you alone so you may...think. And act. See ya!”

With that, the radio went quiet. Snap glared at it before he put it away. He tried not to let Bardot’s words get to him. He was obviously trying to shake him and his friends up, make them frightened so they would more easily slip up. He wasn’t going to let Bardot mess with his mind like that.

Snap turned to his friends. “Come on, we need to get going.”

Although they were as scared as he was, Rapsheeba and Blocky nodded their heads in agreement. Snap was glad that they were still willing to help, despite the danger they were just in.

Snap looked at Rapsheeba. “What does the riddle say?”

Rapsheeba looked down at the card and began to read what it said.

“Even though you survived the machine I built  
Now it is time to face your guilt  
You should have known it wouldn’t last  
Your attempt to bury it in the past  
A horrific vice  
In the land of stripes”

When Rapsheeba finished, she looked at the card, confused. It was clear it didn’t make any sense to her. She looked at her two friends. “Do any of you know what this means?”

Blocky shook his head. “Not yet. I’ll keep trying to think of something, though.” He looked over at Snap. “Do you have any ideas?”

“Something about it seems familiar...” Snap admitted. He narrowed his eyes, trying to think. “But I can’t quite think of what it is...”

Snap tried to think of what the riddle was talking about. He couldn’t help but think it was referring to him specifically. After all, he was the main target in these games. Bardot’s first game had him go to a playground he used to visit a lot. So this riddle...it had to have something to do with him. And its location...it had to be somewhere he been to before, perhaps often.

But the thing about guilt and vice...he didn’t know what it meant. He couldn’t think of anything he did that he felt ashamed of, at least to that extent. He wasn’t the type of zoner to go around committing heinous acts against anyone. He was pretty well liked among ChalkZone, and there was a good reason for that. He didn’t try to deliberately hurt anyone.

Yet there was something he was missing. Something he wasn’t considering. Maybe what the riddle was referring to had to do with something years ago, something he could hardly remember. He backtracked his mind, searching his memories for a clue of what the riddle was referring to. He felt an uncomfortable feeling spread through his body, knowing that he had only a limited time to figure out what the riddle meant.

And this whole thing about the land of stripes...what was it talking about? There was no place in ChalkZone that was called that. Unless it was somewhere new...but that made no sense. If this riddle was talking about something he did, or almost did, then it would be a place he knew of, not some new one that appeared just recently. His head was starting to hurt from trying to figure all of this out. He rubbed the sides of his head.

There had to be something he was missing, something he wasn’t considering. The riddle was clearly meant to be a little vague. It was telling him where to go, and yet wasn’t. It was being very vague. It was forcing him to really think hard. He couldn’t help but wonder if this was a deliberate tactic by Bardot to slow him down a little.

“Wait!”

Blocky’s sudden shout caused Snap to jump in the air, startled. Even Rapsheeba looked surprised by his sudden outburst.

Snap would have scolded Blocky if the situation wasn’t so dire. “What is it? Did you figure something out?”

Blocky nodded his head. “Yeah! I think I know what it’s talking about!” He took a few steps towards Snap. “Do you remember that time, many years ago, when we were getting ourselves breakfast and you took those chocolate bunny eggs and we were going to eat them? Then they hatched into chocolate bunny babies and you were still going to eat them, at least until they called you ‘daddy’?”

Snap’s eyes widened. He slowly nodded his head.

“I think that is what the riddle is talking about! It’s talking about how you almost killed three little babies for breakfast! The riddle wants us to go to where it happened, in the Candycane Forest!” Blocky exclaimed.

Snap felt his heart clench. Blocky had to have been right. That must be what the riddle was talking about. Snap couldn’t help but shiver from fright at the realization... Just how did Bardot know this? How did he know about the incident where he almost ate three baby chocolate bunnies? He hadn’t told anyone about the incident. Not even Rudy or Penny knew what he almost did. Only Blocky knew, and he had promised not to speak of it again.

Snap remembered how horrible he felt when he realized what he almost did. It made him feel sick to his stomach knowing that he almost ended the lives of three baby bunnies just for the sake of being hungry. He could have let them go and found something else to eat. But no, he still chased down those bunnies and tried to kill them. It wasn’t like the other food he got from the Candycane Forest. The chocolate bunnies were sentient, could speak.

He had felt so horrible that he promised himself that he would never talk about it again. He would not let anyone know about what he almost did. He really did try to bury it in the past. And somehow...somehow Bardot was able to dig it up. He must have known...somehow...what he did. And it frightened Snap. This guy knew his last name. He knew Rapsheeba’s name before meeting her. Now he knew about that horrific incident from years ago. Just how much more did this guy know about him and his friends?

Snap forced himself out of his thoughts. He looked at Rapsheeba and Blocky and nodded his head. “Let’s go to the Candycane Forest!”

The trio started to head out. The Candycane Forest wasn’t too far from here, luckily. It would take them about twenty minutes to get there walking. There were a few zoners they met along the way, but thankfully no one talked to them that much. And no one asked about what they were doing. Some did look as though they knew something was wrong, or had seen what happened to the playground, but they were too frightened to ask anything.

Snap did want to tell them what was going on, how it was all some twisted game they were being forced to play. But saying one word would make them lose the game, and he would also lose his human friends. So he was relieved that no one had attempted to pressure him into talking just yet.

Snap did start to feel a tad bit hungry, but he was able to ignore it. It wasn’t that bad, really. And they were headed straight for the Candycane Forest. He could get something there to eat. Bardot’s rules did permit such things. He was worried that he’d be forced to eat something tainted, but he guessed that would came later in the games, when things would get more physically and mentally challenging. Bardot’s early games might be a little more lenient.

He wished he remembered to bring a bag with him. He could stockpile a bit on food while in the Candycande Forest. It wasn’t always the most filling food, but it would tide them over a bit as they went through more and more of the games. It would be something at least.

Soon, they came upon the Candycane Forest. Nothing looked out of the ordinary at first, but Snap and his friends weren’t about to let their guard down. Cautiously, they entered the forest. They looked left and right, trying to see any sign of a booby trap or obvious danger. At first, they saw nothing. It wasn’t until a few minutes walking in that they saw a note.

Snap went over to it. The note was taped to a tall candycane tree. He reached up and grabbed it. He pulled it off and looked at the message. He turned to Rapsheeba and Snap and read it loud enough so they could hear.

“Welcome to the second game. The goal of this game is merely survival. To win this game, the task is simple. You must reach the end of the forest, and that’s it. But beware, chocolate bunnies lurk here and they are not in the best of moods. Try not to wake them. They will not be happy to see you. Especially you...Snap...”

Snap trembled as he finished the note. He knew how vicious the mother rabbit was when she saw him with her kids. Though she did mellow out later, that wasn’t to say the same about other chocolate bunnies that might have seen what he did. This game really was out to get him...

Rapsheeba placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, noticing his distress. “Don’t worry, my man, Snap. We’ll make it through together!”

Blocky joined in. “Yeah, we can do it!”

Snap smiled at his friends. He was grateful for their help. “Thank you.”

The trio started to walk deeper into the forest. Knowing that there was danger lurking everywhere, they remained on alert, looking around for any signs of the chocolate bunnies. Snap and Blocky had a nasty encounter with one before, and the thought of running into a lot more scared them. What if there were chocolate bunnies even larger and more ferocious than the mommy one they encountered?

A few minutes of walking, and the three of them had to stop. Hearts started to race. Snap started to shake. Blocky didn’t look better of. Rapsheeba took a step back. What they were looking at, they could hardly believe.

There were adult chocolate bunnies everywhere. And just like Snap feared, many were larger and clearly scarier-looking than the mother chocolate bunny he and Blocky had to deal with. Some had long sharp fangs sticking out of their mouths. He could see their wickedly sharp claws. And they were laid about all over the forest, looking like they easily stretched to the very edges of the forest, on both sides. Which meant that they couldn’t simply walk around them.

Snap knew that they had no choice but to walk directly towards them. And with all these bunnies all around them, if they wake up just one, they would wake up all of them. And to add to his terror, there had to be at least a hundred bunnies here. Would they...would they be able to make it...?


	20. How Will We Get Out Of This?

“M-My...my right..my right h-hand...” Rudy whimpered, his voice laced heavily with pain. He held his right hand to his chest, his body shaking. “I-I c-can’t...”

Penny looked at Rudy sympathetically. She sat down beside him, slinging her arm over his shoulder and pulling him close. She could feel this body shaking against hers. She felt so bad for him. He was in a lot of pain, both mental and physical, from Draow’s horrific attack. It was such a low blow, something she would have expected from Draow anyway. It hurt her seeing Rudy like this, so shaken up and wracked with agony.

After Draow crushed Rudy’s right hand and let him drop, the bat wolf and the hybrid zoner just smirked at his pain. Draow looked the most satisfied. He had mentioned something about how it was nice to finally avenge his master, and how he looked forward to doing more to the boy. Bardot might have said something in response, about taking it easy so the two of them would last for a few days, but Penny hardly paid attention to him. Her mind was focused on Rudy.

The 16 year old boy was on the ground, writhing in pain. He held his trembling right hand. He was constantly crying out in pain. His calls of agony made Penny’s heart twist. She immediately rushed over to him after Bardot released her. She knelt down by Rudy and coaxed him to let her see his hand. She gasped at what she saw.

Draow’s fang had punctured straight into his hand, all the way through. There was a gaping hole in his hand. A few of his fingers were bent at odd angles. When she attempted to touch his hand, Rudy screamed and yanked his hand away. She looked at him sorrowfully and apologized. She was able to touch his hand long enough to tell there was more eternal damage. A few broken pieces of bone. She realized that he needed to go the hospital as soon as possible to get his hand treated.

Since they weren’t going to be able to do that any time soon, she did the next best thing. She did whatever she could to treat the wound. She had no medical items with her at the moment. She had a feeling even if she did, she wouldn’t be able to use them; no doubt Draow or Bardot would have taken them from her. So she used the only thing she had available. Her own clothes.

She reached down towards her skirt. She gripped the end of it and pulled hard. She tore off a long piece along the edge. She turned to Rudy and asked him to hold out his hand. Not surprisingly, he was reluctant and moved back from her, holding his hand protectively. She didn’t back down so easily, and she kept getting close to him, telling him the wound needs to be patched up with something. Eventually, Rudy did give in, though reluctantly, and let Penny do her best to mend his broken hand.

She wrapped the cloth around his hand. She made sure it was good and tight. Rudy winced and whimpered at the pain. She tried to be as gentle as she could. She made sure to go slow as she continued wrapping the cloth around his broken hand. Once it was wrapped around enough times, Penny then tied the ends together, secure and tight. After she was done, Rudy pulled his hand to himself once more. He lightly wrapped his left hand over the bandage and grimaced at the pain. He looked over at Penny and thanked her for the help.

Although Rudy was grateful Penny helped him, his mood didn’t get any better. He sat on the ground, his legs crossed, holding his hand in clear agony. Tears flowed from his eyes. Penny knew that they weren’t just from the physical pain. It was from the mental pain inflicted on him. Penny was glad that Draow and Bardot had left not long after injuring Rudy’s right hand. She didn’t want to hear their mocking voices as they watched Rudy clearly suffering.

Penny knew, without a doubt, that this whole thing had been planned. Bardot and Draow both knew that Rudy would come to her aid if she were in trouble. And Bardot did make a deal with Draow which involved getting revenge on them, especially Rudy. So they had set up the perfect trap for him. Bardot attacks her, Rudy rushes over to save her, and he becomes open to an attack. Draow seized the change and took Rudy’s right hand into his jaws. And, despite Rudy’s pleas for mercy, the bat wolf still crushed his hand. Penny would never forget that sound, or the screams Rudy made right after he was dropped.

She continued to hold onto Rudy gently, careful not to touch his hand. He leaned against her, sobbing against her shoulder. He had comforted her earlier when Bardot taunted her about her father’s death. Now it was time for her to do the same for him. They leaned against the rocky wall, laying below a few of the orange torches. Their fiery warmth did little to chase of the cold they were both feeling.

The attack on Rudy’s hand was a double blow. The physical pain was horrendous, and he lost a good amount of blood from it. He couldn’t move his hand at all without being wracked with horrific pain. It was also a mental attack. Rudy is the protector of ChalkZone. He is the one who wielded the magic chalk and helped the zoners whenever he could, both against minor things and more major ones. He felt confident in his ability to protect them due to his ability to draw and create anything out of thin air. But with his right hand crushed, he could no longer do that.

Rudy had been afraid of injuring his right hand ever since his left one was permanently damaged by Mr. Cosmo. He had been extra careful with it whenever he did anything. He knew that if he wrecked his right hand, that was it. It wasn’t like when he broke his arm just before a bowling tournament. At that time, he could still use his left hand decently. Well enough to defend himself. Now he could barely grip a piece of magic chalk with his left hand, let alone draw with it.

Now, with his right hand crushed and his left hand much weaker than it used to be, Rudy was completely defenseless. Even if he had magic chalk, he wouldn’t be able to use it very effectively. If the damage in his right hand becomes permanent... Rudy wouldn’t be able to protect ChalkZone anymore. He wouldn’t be able to draw. He would have lost his artistic abilities.

The thought broke Penny’s heart. Rudy prided himself in his art and his ability to help and protect others. Being stripped of this, being rendered unable to do anything with art anymore, no longer able to protect others, it really hurt him mentally. She shot a glare in the direction Bardot and Draow had walked in. They were truly monsters. And she looked forward to when karma struck them back.

As she held Rudy against her gently, stroking his hair in an attempt to calm him down, her thoughts wandered to her father. Tears welled up as she recalled the cruel words Bardot told her. She remembered every detail. She could practically hear her father’s screams of pain. She could see him being ripped apart by this monster. And the way Bardot taunted her about her father’s death, it still sent chills down her spine. If she ever needed proof of Bardot being worse than Cosmo...this was it.

She had been making great strides with her father. Even though he wasn’t there much as she was growing up, and though her mom didn’t really like him that much, she was growing close to him as he started spending more and more time with her. She looked forward to whenever his dad had enough time off to take her places or just to hang out in general. He was a good man...a good man...

It had been such a terrible blow to her psyche when she learned her dad was gone. Not just captured, but actually dying. And very painfully at that. She never thought something like that had happened. Neither her mom nor herself had suspected something like this. If he had been living with them, they might have noticed him going missing. But because he lived across town, there was no way for them to know when he disappeared...not until they saw the news...

Even if they get out of this alive, she knew that was only the beginning. She needed to deal with the loss of her father. She knew her mom was upset by the news. She may not have liked her ex-husband that much but she still would care if something terrible happened to him. She wanted now, more than ever, to be in her mother’s arms, hug her, trying to seek comfort. The loss of a parent was a heavy blow to bear. Penny still had a hard time believing it was true, but it was all confirmed when Bardot had the audacity to eat her father’s arm in front of her like that. Daddy....

Rudy also needed comforting as well. If the damage in his right hand became permanent, and his ability to draw hindered, she knew he was going to go through a mental breakdown. He wouldn’t be able to help the zoners as much as he used to, and that was going to hurt him mentally. He loved helping them out and he was determined to protect them from any possible danger. With two permanently damaged hands, he wouldn’t be able to do any of that. He was going to feel very low, and he was going to need support from his friends to help him recover mentally.

Her thoughts then wandered over to Snap. She was very worried about him. When Bardot had told them what happened when he visited them briefly, she and Rudy were both horrified. The thought of Snap, Rapsheeba, and Blocky almost dying like that..and the way Bardot said it so cheerfully, so happily... It was obvious how sick this zoner was. She couldn’t believe that he was forcing those three to go through all that torment. And of course, Bardot was going to tell them every bad thing that happens to them, just to drive their spirits down further.

Penny was not aware of just how bad these ‘games’ of Bardot’s would get. Would the last few games be unbeatable? Would Snap die a horrific death? Her eyes welled up with tears at the thought of her friend losing his life to this. And Blocky and Rapsheeba...they were getting pulled in for the ride as well. Bardot was going to have fun hurting them, she could tell. He didn’t care if they weren’t his targets. The guy was twisted, sadistic...he’d torture Blocky and Rapsheeba just for the fun of it...

Penny couldn’t believe all this was happening. It was a nightmare...only it was reality. She felt so helpless. She felt the same as Rudy, like they couldn’t do anything. And right now, what could they do? They were trapped. Her father was killed. Rudy’s right hand was crushed so he would be defenseless. They were both injured. They were both going to die a painful death if Snap is unable to get to them in time. Things just looked really bleak for them. She felt like there was nothing she could do.

Yet, despite how low she felt, she still had some spark of hope in her. She didn’t want to completely lose hope that they’d get out of this. She and Rudy knew how competent Snap could be. She knew that Snap wouldn’t rest until he found them. Snap knew they were in grave danger, and he would hurry. She had to remain confident that he’d find them in time.

And once he does, they could capture Bardot and Draow and bring them to justice. It wouldn’t be hard to convinct either of them. With all the damage they did, especially Bardot and with Draow’s past crimes, they would be locked up forever. Penny would be more than happy to testify against those creeps in court. She would, in that way, make them both sorry for what they’ve done. She didn’t know what kind of punishment they could get that would satisfy her, but she was certain the zoners there would think of an appropriate and satisfying punishment for those two.

Despite her crying, despite her feelings of helplessness, despite her injuries, Penny hadn’t truly given up yet. And she knew Rudy hadn’t either. They weren’t going to give into the torture that easily. They would not allow Bardot and Draow the pleasure of breaking them, of taking away their hope. Rudy was right. They had been in a terrible scrape with Mr. Cosmo. Thinks looked hopeless then, but they still managed to pull through against the odds.

And they could do it again.

“I’m...I’m hungry...” Rudy murmured through his cries.

“Yeah...I know....” Penny whispered back.

Neither of them had anything to eat or drink for almost 24 hours, if not more. Though both of them could easily survive a day without food, neither of them knew how long they were going to be here. It was hard to say how long it would take Snap to get here.

Though their hunger pains were pretty mild, they knew it was just going to get worse from here. As the days go by, they would get hungrier and weaker. And the weaker they got, the more vulnerable they became to their captors’ torture. They would soon be unable to fight back effectively. If Snap didn’t find them soon, they were both going to suffer a very painful death. Penny knew that they could last a while longer if it was just being without food. But humans didn’t last nearly as long if they were deprived of water, which meant that she and Rudy had less time.

And dying of dehydration...that wasn’t exactly a pleasant way to go. It was a slow and painful death. And it was going to be further aggravated by the torture that their captors were going to inflict on them. The blood loss was going to speed up the dehydration, speeding up their death. Stopping the bleeding from any new injury they recieve was going to be crucial. But even if she did manage to stop all bleeding, she could do nothing about the water situation...

She could feel the back of her throat feel a tad dry. It wasn’t too bad now, but it was going to get worse as time went on. She swallowed, wishing she could have a glass of water right about now. But she knew that Bardot and Draow would not allow her and Rudy to have anything. Though Bardot had access to the real world and could bring food and water for them, it was unlikely he would. He was very clear about wanting them to dehydrate to death, so giving them water would just delay his ‘meal time’, as he would put it.

It did seem a little odd to be thinking about food after what’s happened to them. But having no food, or water for that matter, was part of their torment. It was one part of all the bad things that happened or is going to happen to them. It was going to make their stay much less pleasant, not that they were going to have a good time here to begin with.

Penny gingerly touched her forehead and immediately seethed in pain. The cut itself had stopped bleeding. The blood coagulated a while ago. But it was still a deep cut and it hurt to touch it. It was like someone was slowly cutting her head open with a shard of glass. Though it stopped bleeding, she knew it was going to get worse if she didn’t find some way to treat. She didn’t have much to worry about in regards to chalk germs. But Rudy was with her, and he had real world germs on him, as did she. Their wounds could still become infected. Even using their clothes as bandages wouldn’t stop infection from settling in. They needed sterile bandages.

When Penny shifted herself, she accidentally hit against Rudy’s side. He let out a yelp of pain and cringed away from her a bit. She looked at him apologetically.

“I’m sorry, Rudy.” She said to him.

Rudy groaned and said, “It’s okay. I know you didn’t mean it...”

Penny looked down at his side. Her eyes widened when she saw a bright red stain. “Rudy...let me take a look.”

Rudy was a bit reluctant. He put left hand carefuly over his side and scooted away. He looked at her with slightly widened eyes and he shook his head. “No. It’s fine...really.”

“Rudy...” Penny said, narrowing her eyes. “Let me look.”

“No.” Rudy shook his head.

Penny was frustrated with Rudy. She didn’t know why he had to be so stubborn. She needed to look at his wound and see how it was healing. This was, currently, Rudy’s worst wound. The one on his right hand was bad, yes, but the one in his side was deeper and had more flesh torn. She needed to look at it and see if there was anything she could do to help.

With how Rudy reacted to her accidentally touching the area, the wound was very tender and sore. With how deep the wound was, she wasn’t surprised. It was also a clear sign that Rudy was lying; that area wasn’t fine. He could try to deny it all he wanted to, but she could see right through his lies just by his reactions alone.

Penny gently touched his left hand. “Please, Rudy... You were bitten pretty badly by Draow there. Let me take a look. I’ll do my best not to hurt you, okay?”

“...oh okay...” Rudy said reluctantly. He moved his hand away.

Penny motioned for Rudy to straighten himself up. When he did, she reached down to the bottom of his shirt. She grabbed it and lifted it up a little. She pulled it until she could see the wound in plain sight. She grimaced at it.

She could see the puncture marks where Draow had bitten down. The skin was discolored, mostly a dark purple. She thought she saw a little bit of green, too, and she realized, in horror, that infection had already started to settle in. And that wasn’t her only worry. In the biggest puncture wounds, there was still blood dripping from it. It has been at least 24 hours, and the wound was still bleeding...

Horror swept through her heart, an uncomfortable feeling gripping her chest. All of her wounds had stopped bleeding an hour or so ago. But Rudy’s side wound...it was still bleeding. He was still losing blood. And judging from it, the bleeding hardly slowed down. Draow had done a lot more damage to his side than she thought. She had to do something to stop the bleeding and fast.

Penny kicked off her shoes. She grabbed one of her socks and pulled it off. Yeah it wasn’t exactly the best smelling piece of cloth, but she needed something thick, and her socks were a little thicker than her skirt. She pressed the cloth against Rudy’s side. He hissed in pain and struggled a little. Penny placed a hand on his shoulder and gently rubbed it to try to calm him down a little. She felt bad about doing this. She could see how much it was hurting him. Tears of pain were coming from the boy’s eyes. But she had to do this to stop the bleeding.

But to her horror, no matter how hard she pressed the sock against the wound, no matter how much pressure she applied, the wound just wasn’t stopping with the bleeding. Fear swept through her body as she realized what had happened. Draow bit down so hard that...that he ruptured something inside Rudy. The bleeding was eternal, deep. No amount of pressing against the wound was going to stop it. He needed to to the hospital, and fast.

But he wasn’t going to be able to go to the hospital any time soon. And there was nothing in ChalkZone that could help them. The blood would dissolve any bandages she got from this place. Not right away, but slowly it would. It would do little to stop the bleeding. And if she didn’t stop the bleeding soon...oh no...Rudy...

“No...come on...please...” Penny whispered. She pressed the sock a little harder, prompting a cry of pain from Rudy. “Please...work...” She hoped that, by some miracle, she could stop the bleeding. But it didn’t work. She shook her head in disbelief. “No...”

Rudy gave her a small smile. “It’s...okay. I’ll be fine...”

Penny shook her head. “No you won’t. You’re still bleeding.” Her voice was laced in worry and fear. She stared at the wound for a few seconds, then turned her gaze back to Rudy. “I lost my father. I don’t want to lose you, too...”

“You won’t..” Rudy said reassuringly. He put his right arm around Penny, careful not to move or hit his damaged right hand. He pulled her a little closer to him. “We’ll..get out of here. And we will both be fine. You’ll see...”

Penny tried her best to smile back. But she could barely manage it. Her dark brown eyes slowly gazed back down on the bleeding wound. She needed to find a way to stop the bleeding and fast. Rudy was going to lose strength faster if he kept bleeding out like this. And with Bardot and Draow willing to hurt him more, to give him more injuries, having an injury bleed like this for over a day wasn’t something that Rudy could afford.

“I know, Rudy.” She finally said, trying to sound as hopeful as she could. “I know.”


	21. The Savage Beasts

Traversing through here was going to be hard. Snap could tell just from looking around. The large, vicious-looking bunnies were laying really close. There was hardly a place for him and his friends to step down that wasn’t practically on one of these chocolate bunnies. He knew all it would take was one slip up, and they would be running for their lives. The only ‘comfort’ in this is that waking up the bunnies wasn’t against the rules. All they had to do was reach the end while staying alive, though that wasn’t exactly going to be easy in of itself.

As he, Rapsheeba, and Blocky slowly made their way through, being careful not to touch or bump into any of the bunnies, Snap noticed something about them. None of them had the feminine appearance of the mother rabbit he and Blocky ran into. These all must be the bucks, the males. There was no doe, or female, in sight.

He had never seen the males of these species before. They must usually be underground or something, raising and protecting the babies. Whenever they surface, it must be when hardly anyone is around so they can collect food for the kids, or whatever it is they do underground.

Snap felt intimidated being so close to these guys. He had heard rumors of the males being a lot more dangerous than the females, even those protecting their young. A female chocolate rabbit would usually drop her vicious attitude once she’s seen no harm came to her kids, and she can even shift moods and start being downright friendly and affectionate even towards those she was about to harm. That was why the mother rabbit was nice enough to give him and Blocky some chocolate milk and let them sit down next to her. The female chocolate rabbits were usually very forgiving and only aggressive if pushed too far.

Males, on the other hand, were a whole different story. He hadn’t heard too much, but what he did hear, he did not like. The males of this species hold grudges for a very long time. Do one thing against the warren, and they will never let you forget it. Males would chase aggressors and would-be bunnynappers all across the forest, often not stopping until they beat and bite and claw them to death.

Supposedly, the reason why the males were like this was due to the high predation of this species. Snap could believe that. The baby bunnies were delicious. He could see how a bunch of zoners, those who don’t really care if the babies could talk or not, would try to eat them. So the males’ protectiveness is increased many times to the point where they would rather kill offenders rather than letting them off easy. And if Bardot’s card was anything to go by, and taking into consideration he was the main target, chances are all these males were aware of what he did. And when they wake up...

...he was going to have to run for his life.

And there were a lot of males here. A lot... Snap had lost count at thirty. Bardot had picked the right time to set up this ‘game’ of survival. A time when the males come up to the surface. Or had Bardot lured or trapped them up here? He wasn’t sure. But what did it matter right now? He had to focus on getting across without waking up the rabbits.

Snap looked over to see how his friends were doing. Blocky’s thin shape gave him an advantage as he was able to slip through smaller spaces without problem. This didn’t mean he could be reckless, though. A few times, he did almost step on a bunny. He managed to stop himself in time and moved around the bunny before continuing. A few times, a bunny was so large he had to jump over them. Snap was amazed that he was able to do so without falling into another bunny nearby. That took skill.

Rapsheeba was having a bit of a harder time than Blocky. She was not able to jump or step over the bunnies as well as he could. So most of the time, she had to squeeze between the bunnies, which was a difficult task. There was once where she did trip and almost fell on top of one of the rabbits. Snap stared in horror for a second before rushing over as fast as he was allowed to go. He grabbed her arm and steadied her. Rapsheeba thanked him and they continued on their way.

Before they knew it, Snap realized they were about to reach the halfway point. He started to feel relieved. This dangerous task was almost halfway over. And none of them had recieved any injuries yet. As long as they can keep this up, they would be able to reach Rudy and Penny and be able to fight Draow and Bardot. Snap didn’t know how long this was going to last, though. Sooner or later, they would get hurt, and he wasn’t sure how well they’d perform with horrific injuries.

Still, here’s to hoping. He and his friends were smart and careful. So long as they use their wits, they could make it through each game unscathed. They could make it through this one without getting attacked. Snap hated to think what would happen if they got badly hurt this early in the games. This was only game two. There were several others they would have to endure. Bardot never told them how many, and he was certain that him withholding information was part of his torment. Bardot didn’t want him to know how close he was to his friends. He didn’t want to give him any sense of hope or accomplishment. He just wanted to mess with him.

Snap wasn’t going to let Bardot mess with his mind like that. He had a feeling Bardot was doing it to make it harder for him to face the guy at the end of these ‘games’ of his. Bardot wanted to destroy his confidence so that merely thinking of fighting back was going to be hard.

Snap was shaken up by how Bardot introduced himself. He was scared that Bardot was able to pin him down so easily, to subdue him like that. He was scared that Bardot was very close to killing him, and how easy it would have been for him to do so. Those fangs were very close to sinking into his skin, and injecting a deadly venom that had no antitode whatsoever. Bardot’s speed was definitely going to be a problem, and if Snap was badly hurt before he could face him...that was definitely going to be a problem as well.

Still, Snap wasn’t going to give up. He wasn’t going to let himself get dragged down mentally like that. Though afraid, he was still willing to go up against Bardot, even badly injured, if it meant saving his friends. He wasn’t going to make things that easy for the jerk.

A few minutes later, and he, Rapsheeba, and Blocky were still making good progress. He could see the light up ahead, where he knew the Candycane Forest was about to end. They didn’t quicken their pace, though. Even though they were quite close to being out of this survival game, if they rushed, they could trip up and then they would all be in big trouble.

“So close...” Rapsheeba said in a low whisper. She continued moving really slowly, moving past the bunnies. “If we keep this up, we’ll be out of here in no time.”

Snap nodded in agreement. He carefully climbed over a few rabbits, being really light and gentle so they wouldn’t wake up. “As long as we don’t try to speed things up, and as long as we keep doing this, we will get out of here soon.”

Blocky shifted past a few more rabbits. “Yeah. This isn’t too hard.” He turned his head to look at his friends. “If it weren’t for the whole danger part, this would actually be kind of...”

“Blocky!” Rapsheeba and Snap cried in low hisses.

It was too late. When Blocky turned his head, he was not able to see where he was going. That second of not seeing was enough to cause him to make a mistake in his stepping. He looked over just in time for him to snag his foot on a small rock that jetted out of the ground. He held in his cry of pain, but that wasn’t enough. It just wasn’t enough...

...for when he tripped over, he had hit against one of the chocolate rabbits. And not just in passing either. Half of his body slammed against the rabbit, right against its side. Blocky laid there for a few seconds and, feeling the brown mound begin to shift, he moved away, his eyes wide in fear.

“Oh no...” Rapsheeba whispered as she and the others looked around them.

The male that Blocky had awakened raised its head. It looked over at them. As soon as it saw Snap, it began to growl lowly, baring its sharp teeth. It stood up on its hind legs, spreading its arms out and showing off its vicious claws. The trio backed away in fear, staring at the male. Things quickly became a lot worse for them.

The male let out a couple of small screech sounds. To their horror, all around them, the males were waking up. They rose to their feet and turned their attention on the trio. Much like the first male, it was only when the males saw Snap that they became angry. Although Blocky helped with capturing the eggs, the males didn’t seem to mind him. It was as though, somehow, the males knew that it was Snap alone who tried to eat the babies after they hatched, not Blocky.

The males started to move closer to the trio, forming a circle of fangs and claws. Growls emitted all around the three, rumbling through their hearts and stomach. The hostility of the males practically radiated off of them, twisting their stomachs in knots. In a matter of seconds, the males would attack them.

“What are we going to do?” Blocky asked fearfully.

Snap looked around towards where the exit of the forest was. It was hard to see with all the males closing in on them, but it was there. He could just barely make it out. He looked back at his friends. There was only one option they had left. And it wasn’t exactly a safe choice.

Snap grabbed his friends and pulled them over. “Come on, we have to make a run for it!”

“Snap, are you crazy?!” Rapsheeba cried. “We’re surrounded!”

“It’s either we run or we stay here and get mauled. Which one would you rather do?” Snap asked, narrowing his eyes at her.

Rapsheeba and Blocky looked nervous. They glanced at the advancing chocolate rabbits, looking at their wickedly sharp claws and teeth. But from the looks on their faces, they both knew that they had no other option. Even though they were surrounded, they had to at least try to run past the rabbits so they can get out of the Candycane Forest.

The three of them huddled close together. They hunched themselves a little, preparing to run.

Snap whispered, “On the count of three, we run. One...”

The males snarled and started to move in faster.

“Two...”

Rapsheeba and Blocky looked around in fear as the rabbits close in on them.

“Three!”

As soon as Snap said ‘three’, the trio broke into a run. They managed to squeeze past the males that were blocking their path to the exit. Much to their relief, they had reached the end of the ‘male chocolate bunny line’, as there were no more males in front of them. But that didn’t mean they were out of the woods yet. Behind them, they heard the thumping, growling, and gnashing of teeth as the males ran towards them.

Despite how large they were, it was frightening just how fast they could be. It took only a few seconds before the males caught up to them. The trio tried their best to dodge the attacks. And at first, they managed to do so. But they couldn’t keep it up and the first blow was struck.

Blocky cried out as he felt claws cut into his back. He fell to the ground, blood dripping from the fresh wound. He looked up in time to see the male that struck him down preparing for another blow.

“Blocky!” Snap cried.

As the rabbit struck downwards, Snap pushed Blocky out of the way. He was unable to save himself, and he screamed in pain as the claws cut into his side, pushing him into the ground. Snap rolled across the ground a few times before finally stopping, leaving behind a thin stream of blood.

“Oh no, Snap!” Rapsheeba tried to get to him, but she was struck down by one of the males herself. Claws cut into her arm, tossing her into the hard, unforgiving ground.

Snap struggled to his feet. He didn’t stay that way for long. The males, upon seeing he was separated from his friends, immediately hounded on him. Snap attempted to run away, but one of the males knocked him into the ground once more. Snap couldn’t hold back his screams of agony as the bunnies started to rip into him. Claws cutting into his chalky flesh, teeth ripping at his costume, blood staining the ground.

Snap tried to crawl away, moaning in pain. He never got far as he was constantly dragged back into the group, and his body recieved more injuries. Snap felt as though his life was flashing before his eyes. He was in so much pain, he became unaware of his surroundings. The only thing he could detect was pain and the gleaming eyes of the enraged chocolate rabbits.

With a strong punch, Snap flew across the ground and landed on his back. The largest male ran towards him and pushed him against the ground with a large paw. Snap looked up fearfully at the male and began to whimper, tears forming in his eyes. He watched as the beast raised its free paw up in the air, the claws poised to strike. Snap gripped the paw, trying to push it away from him. But it was no use.

“Rudy, Penny...” Snap said. He looked at the sharp tips of the claw, and then the enraged face of the rabbit. “I’m sorry...” He closed his eyes and looked away, waiting for the blow.

“No!”

Suddenly, Snap was aware of weight being lifted from him. He opened his eyes and saw that Blocky and Rapsheeba managed to get free. They had recieved a few more injuries, but they were otherwise fine. They had pushed against the larger male, forcing it back away from Snap.

Snap looked up at them in shock. “Rapsheeba...Blocky... You need to get going... We don’t have time...”

Rapsheeba shook her head. “No way, Snap. We aren’t going to leave you behind.”

“We stick together.” Blocky said.

Snap smiled at his friends, grateful for their help. It was then he took notice that his two friends were holding something in their hands. Broken pieces of candycanes that they trampled over when they were running away. The ends looked pretty sharp. He looked over at the largest male and saw a couple of bloody marks. So that was how they managed to get the male away from him.

Snap wanted to get up, but he was in too much pain to move at the moment. He laid on the ground and he watched as his friends protected him from the horde. Blocky and Rapsheeba struck, punched, kicked, and slashed any chocolate male that dared get too close. Snap was shocked, as he didn’t know they were this good at combat. Over and over again, a male would try to strike him, only to be knocked back by either Rapsheeba or Blocky.

It was clear Rapsheeba and Blocky were scared of the horde. Their bodies trembled. Their teeth were clenched. But still they did not leave him. One male tried to bite onto Snap’s hand, but Rapsheeba jabbed the broken piece of candycane against the beast’s arm, forcing it to step back. A second almost dragged Snap away. Blocky put a stop to that by driving his candycane piece into its hand. The beast howled in pain and backed off.

But their luck wasn’t to last. Though the two put up a good fight, it didn’t take long for the males to become so enraged that they retaliate back. Claws struck against the two faster than they could react, sending their weapons flying through the air and crashing against a candycane tree. Then another blow forced them into the ground. Before they could get up, the largest male placed its paws on either side of them, effectively pinning all three down.

The trio looked up at the male in fear. Drool dripped from the beast’s fangs and it opened its jaws wide. It let out a triumphant roar and was preparing to crush them in its jaws. Unable to escape or do anything to defend themselves, the trio hugged each other, screamed, and waited for the beast to bite down on them.

But instead, something else happened. Something none of them had expected.

There was the pounding of another rabbit coming towards them. This one sounded lighter than the others. And when they saw it come into view, they realized it was a female. It was running towards the larger male, forcing it to back off away from the trio. The female started to growl and snarl at the male, who returned the sounds. The two glared at each other, baring their teeth.

Snap looked up in shock. He hadn’t expected this to happen. Was this the same female he and Blocky encountered? No...this one looked a little different. Yet there was still something about it that seemed familiar.

Seconds later, two more rabbits approached them. Snap and his friends screamed when they saw it was two more males. They cringed and waited for them to try to attack. But instead, the two males joined the female, standing in front of the trio and growling at the largest male. The other males around them started to back off. The largest male remained where it was, roaring at the three bunny interlopers almost like they were having an argument.

But the three bunnies didn’t give up. They stood on their hind legs and showed off their claws. They snarled and snapped at the male’s direction, clearly unafraid of how large he was. Though the male was clearly unhappy, it eventually gave up. Going back down on all fours, the largest male, whom Snap guessed was the alpha, the one in charge, appeared to bark orders at the other males. Slowly, the other males dispersed, disappearing back into the forest.

The alpha male gave Snap one more hostile glare before it, too, wandered off, leaving the trio alone with the three rabbit interlopers. Once the alpha male was gone, the three rabbits turned their attention on the trio.

“What are they going to do with us?” Blocky whispered, staring into the eyes of one of the males.

“I don’t know..keep still...” Snap said, clenching his teeth and hissing in pain from his injuries.

The trio didn’t move, dared not to breathe. Most of the rabbits were gone, but they still had these three to worry about. They didn’t know why they chased off the other males. But they had no reason to believe that it was to help them. The rabbits stared at them. They shivered under the glare of their eyes, practically glowing despite being pitch black.

Then, one of the males lowered its head towards them. The trio put their hands in front of themselves in self defense. But rather than bite them, the male did something else entirely.

It licked them.

The gentle gesture was unexpected. The three friends opened their eyes and looked at the rabbit in shock. Why hadn’t it attacked them? The other males were going to tear them apart. Why was this male so different?

The male continued to surprise them as it rubbed its head against Rapsheeba and licked her on the face. The other male nuzzled against Blocky, rubbing its face against his thin side. And the female rubbed against Snap’s face. All three of them were being very gentle, careful not to hurt them further. It was clear that these rabbits had no intentions on harming them.

Snap soon took notice of a piece of cloth on each of the rabbit’s right arms. Green, blue, and pink. His eyes snapped wide open, memories flooding back to him. These rabbits...they were the same ones he had tried to eat years ago. The same ones that had called him ‘daddy’. He stared up at them in shock. Not only had they remembered who he was, they had also still cared enough for him to save him and his friends from the wrath of the alpha male.

“Blocky..these are those bunnies from before. The ones that hatched.” Snap said. He managed to get to his feet, though it still hurt.

Blocky looked around. He took notice of the colored clothes and he instantly remembered. “Oh yeah, they are! They must have seen we were in trouble and came to rescue us!”

Rapsheeba giggled in surprise as one of the males pushed its head against her arm, wanting her to pet it. She ran her hand gently along the back of its head. “Well aren’t you the cutest thing?”

Snap smiled down at the female as he patted her gently on the head. “Thank you.”

A horrible thought crossed his mind. He recalled Bardot said they couldn’t recieve the help of any other zoners. And though these rabbits were wild, they were still zoners. A cold feeling swept through his body. Had they lost the game already? No, it couldn’t be over this quickly. He couldn’t have failed this soon.

But then again, if they had lost the game, Bardot would have contacted them. The radio wasn’t going off yet. So perhaps they were still safe. He looked around and saw they were very close to the edge of the forest. There was no timer for this game, thankfully, so they didn’t have to run towards the exit to get out. But they still needed to hurry. They had to leave the forest and get to wherever the next clue was so they could proceed to the next game.

It was hard leaving the trio of bunnies behind. They had seemed so happy to see him. They constantly rubbed up against him and his friends, licking them, hugging them. They didn’t want them to leave so soon. As much as Snap would have liked to stay for a while, he knew he couldn’t. He promised the three that he would visit them later.

Luckily, the rabbits seemed to understand him and they backed off. They waved to Snap, Rapsheeba, and Blocky as they headed out towards the exit of the forest. The three rabbits turned tail and broke off into a run, and soon disappeared entirely.

Rapsheeba and Blocky weren’t too badly injured. A few cuts here or there, but they could otherwise move just fine. There wasn’t too much blood loss, and it looked as though the cuts would close up on their own. There didn’t seem to be as much of a risk for infection. The cuts weren’t that deep. They deduced it was because the males weren’t really after them; they were after Snap.

Snap’s condition...wasn’t quite as good. He had a few deeper cuts. Like his friends, most of them were pretty shallow and wouldn’t be much of a problem. But a couple of them weren’t as harmless. There were two deeper cuts on his left leg, one on his arm, and one along his side. They weren’t bleeding too heavily, but the blow still left them looking a little bruised.

As he walked along side his friends, he was noticed that he was limping. He was favoring his right leg, constantly leaning towards it in an attempt to relieve the pain. With each step, it felt as though the pain was getting worse. It got to the point where his two friends grabbed his arms, being careful not to hurt him, and supported them as they walked out of the forest.

Snap’s fear had become a reality. He had hoped they would get out of the forest unscathed. They did not. They were all injured, with him recieving the bulk of the attacks. He hissed in pain as he continued to walk with his friends. With him this badly hurt early on, he knew that the next games were going to be even more difficult to survive.

When they got out of the forest, Blocky and Rapsheeba carefully set Snap on the ground so he could rest a little. Blocky went over to grab the next clue, which was placed against a broken down candycane tree. As he read the message, Rapsheeba knelt down beside Snap.

Rapsheeba looked over Snap and grimaced, biting her lip. “We need to treat these wounds...”

Snap winced, looking at Rapsheeba with one eye, the other closed due to pain. “I’ll...I’ll be fine, queenie..” He managed to say.

“No you won’t.” Rapsheeba said sternly. “If we don’t stop the bleeding, you’ll...”

Snap raised up a hand. “I know, Rapsheeba. We’ll...think of something.” He let out a yelp of pain, causing Rapsheeba to look even more worried for him.

“Snap! The next clue! I know what it’s talking about!” Blocky said as he rushed over towards the two, waving the card in his hand frantically.

“What is it?” Snap asked.

Blocky read the riddle.

“Congratulations, you are on a roll  
But to surive the next, you must do more than stroll  
A place you had fun, a place that seems harmless at a glance  
But beware what lies below, there is no second chance”

Snap blinked at that riddle. He was stumped on it. These riddles were so vague and confusing. He wished Bardot could be a little more specific. But at least they didn’t have to waste much time on this riddle, since Blocky figured it out.

“What does it mean?” Snap asked.

“It’s talking about the golf course!” Blocky cried. “The one you, Rudy, and Penny played on a few days ago, before all this mess happened!”

Snap gasped in shock. “What?! Are you sure?”

Blocky nodded his head. “These riddles all seem to be about you. So a place where you had fun, that seems harmless at a glance, it couldn’t be the playground as we were already there. And the talk of things below, that golf course does have a few tiny tunnels that run below, in a few of their holes. And it isn’t too far from here!”

Snap still wasn’t entirely sure if he was convinced it was talking about the golf course. But what other leads did he have? It didn’t really surprise him that a golf course was the next stop. It was just like Bardot to take something he had enjoyed and turn it into a nightmare. It seemed so like him.

Snap struggled to his feet. Rapsheeba supported him, holding his arm. “Let’s go.”


	22. Bet You Didn't See This Coming

Rudy growled under his breath. When he spoke, his voice was laced in pain and anger. “I hate you...”

He glared up at Bardot, who stood in front of him and Penny, wearing the usual cocky smile. Draow was laying in the door way, his back turned to them. Bardot didn’t look at all fazed by the boy’s anger. He just smiled down at Rudy, grinning practically from ear to ear. If anything, Rudy’s anger made him look happier, like he was pleased with himself.

Bardot had just finished telling them what had happened to Snap during his run through the Candycane Forest. He had put so much emphasis on when Snap got hurt, describing in detail the brutal mauling he had gotten. It was so descriptive that Rudy could practically see and hear it in his mind. It didn’t get much better when Bardot brought up the limp that Snap would have throughout the rest of the game. Bardot made a cruel joke about how Snap would have a hard time surviving the next game with that injury.

Rudy was utterly disgusted by the whole thing. Bardot was taking great pleasure in all of this. Causing pain and suffering... what kind of sicko gets off on this? Even Mr. Cosmo, who was a terrible man himself, had some boundaries. Rudy couldn’t see that guy, as horrible as he was, going to the same lengths as Bardot. Maybe that was why Cosmo feared the red chalk. Maybe that’s why he refused to erase Bardot himself. He must have known that, by doing so, he was unleashing literal hell, and it would be something beyond his control. That man was all about control.

Penny was frightened by what Bardot told them. She kept shaking her head and crying, obviously thinking about the danger Snap was now in. Knowing that Snap had an injury that coud slow him down and make him lose an upcoming ‘game’...it was really unsettling.

But despite her worries, Penny still hadn’t given up on Snap or on themselves. She never gave in that easily, and Rudy was glad she still had that same determination here, despite all that had happened. That was one of the things he loved about her. She wasn’t helpless and she could really hold her own if she had to. If she weren’t injured right now and if she had magic chalk, she would teach Bardot a lesson and she could them out of this mess.

A dark chuckle broke him out of his thoughts. He almost stumbled back when he saw how close Bardot had gotten to him and Penny. He snarled at Bardot, clenching his left hand into as tight of a fist he could make. Which...wasn’t much of a fist since he couldn’t bend his fingers to the same degree as he could on his right hand, at least before it was injured.

Although Penny was afraid, she didn’t cringe back like Rudy guessed Bardot thought she would, especially with the knowledge that he is her father’s murderer. Instead, Penny looked just as angry as Rudy did. She didn’t form a fist, but she did give Bardot a look that, if stares could kill, would have caused the monster to drop dead where he stood. But not suprisingly, this only brought another laugh from Bardot, completely unfazed by the teens’ anger.

Bardot put his face close to Rudy’s. He sneered, “Oh is that so? Well then... If I were you...” He moved his muzzle until it was next to Rudy’s ear. He said in a harsh whisper, “I’d hate me too.” He moved back when Rudy tried to strike him with his weaker left hand. Bardot let out a quick chortle. “Almost got me there. But I tell ya, trying to hit me isn’t going to do you much good.”

Rudy narrowed his eyes. “It’ll make me feel better.”

Bardot smirked. “Well yes I suppose it would. But you’re wasting too much energy. You should try to relax a little more.”

“As if...” Penny said, her voice low. She glared hatefully at the hybrid zoner. “It’s not like you’ll let us relax. You heartless beast...”

Bardot cocked an eyebrow. He turned his head towards Draow. He stared at him and looked like he was contemplating something. Seconds later, he turned his head back to Penny. If he had been thinking about calling Draow over here, it was clear that he had changed his mind. Rudy wondered if it was because Bardot wanted them alive for a while. Draow isn’t exactly the most gentle zoner around.

Or maybe...there was another reason. There was that look in Bardot’s eye. The kind that he and Penny became too familiar with during their short stay here. The look that told them he had something special in mind for them. And this special thing was never anything good.

Rudy’s eyes widened a little. Just what did he have in mind Draow do next? Was he going to crush his other hand? Was he going to tear more into his side, or tear up Penny more? And knowing Bardot, he wasn’t going to tell them anything. He had a feeling Bardot was going to be the kind of villain who gives hints that they will get hurt, but then leaving it all to their imagination, leaving them in cruel suspense until the torture does happen.

“If you won’t relax, I suppose I’ll have to make you relax.” Bardot said in a sweet sounding voice. “And I think I know how to do that...”

Without warning, Bardot seized Penny and dragged her away from Rudy. In protest, Rudy tried to get to her, but Bardot kicked him in the leg with his hind foot, knocking the boy to the ground. Rudy landed on his right hand and let out a scream of pain. He held his hand, trembling, and looked over to see what Bardot was doing.

Penny fought against Bardot. She managed to land a couple of punches on him. Though the punches seemed to be hurting Bardot, he was ignoring them. He gripped Penny by the throat and held her down. But rather than slash her up like Rudy expected, instead, Bardot merely struck, and not with his full strength, directly on her head wound. Rudy’s eyes widened, horrified by Bardot’s cruelty. Did it know no bounds? No limits?

Penny’s eyes flew open and she let out a horrific scream. Then seconds later, she crumpled to the ground, unconscious. The pain was too much for her to handle. Bardot had struck by pressing his three claws against the wound. The sharp tips combined with the pressure had sent so many shockwaves of pain that Penny fainted from it. It was a horrific sight for Rudy to behold.

And when Bardot looked at him, Rudy knew that he was going to be next. The yellow and red zoner started to slink towards him. Rudy tried to get up, but he was unable to get far. Another blow to his leg and he was on his knees. He glared hatefully at Bardot.

“You’re sick...” Rudy hissed under his breath. His gaze went over to Penny for a second, then he looked back at the zoner. “Striking an open wound...”

“Eh...does it really matter? It’s going to get infected anyway.” Bardot waved a dismissing paw. “I’m just speading up the process.”

“I’ll kill you...” Rudy threatened, baring his teeth at the deranged zoner. He was not a violent person, and he usually didn’t wish death on anyone. But Bardot...he deserved it. “You will regret the day you messed with me and my friends.”

Bardot shook his head. “Yeah, yeah...sure, kid. We’ll see about that. But for now...sleep!”

Rudy noticed how much louder the word ‘sleep’ had been spoken. But he barely had time to dwell on it because, in that instance, Bardot made his move on him. He pressed his paw against his wounded side, pressing the claws into it. The moment this happened, Rudy’s mind was assaulted by agony.

He let out a bloodcurdling scream as the claws pressed into him. Bardot pushed harder and harder, not enough to cut him up badly, but enough to send him through a world of pain. Bardot’s other paw held onto his arm, holding him in place. Rudy kept screaming, begging Bardot to stop it. Tears streamed down his face. This was absolute torture. It felt like someone was pouring lemon juice and salt down into the wound and then, just because, driving a knife down there as well.

Rudy tried to struggle to get away, but the pain was getting to be too much for him. The pain caused the world around him to spin. It felt like minutes went by, but actually only seconds did. Rudy felt his mind start to shut down, unable to handle the pain Bardot was triggering. He took one last look at Bardot, who was wearing an evil smile, before he closed his eyes and fell to the ground.

And soon, everything was dark.

sss

Milly Tabootie stood in her son’s room. The blood still stained the ground and walls. She had meant to clean it up, since the police already investigated it and got all the data they could from it. But her heart...it just wasn’t into it. No parent should have ever have to do this. No parent should ever have to clean up blood that came from their own child...

It hurt to be in the room. Knowing something terrible happened to her child, just being in here makes her practically hear her son’s screams. A horrendous feeling of guilt overwhelmed her. Why hadn’t she or Joe heard the screams? Why hadn’t they noticed someone sneaking into their house? With all this destruction, she couldn’t believe that she and Joe both slept through it. If they had just woken up and came in, then maybe they could have...

Usually she had no problem with coming into Rudy’s bedroom. She usually did when she wanted to clean up his room a little. Rudy, even at this age, still sometimes left messes behind. Or she’d come in to speak to him, or check on him to make sure he’s okay if he was sick.

Now, standing in his room, all she could feel was a cold chill. A sickening feeling welled up inside of her, making her want to throw up. Her son was gone...and no one knew where he was. He just vanished, along with those other victims. The victims that no one has found yet. She didn’t know if her son was dead or alive. And not knowing made her stomach twist in knots.

Sometimes she would stare out of Rudy’s window, onto the sidewalk. She fumbled her hands together as she imagined Rudy coming back home. There would be times where she thinks she sees Rudy, but it was either a figment of her imagination or just a kid that kinda looked like Rudy. And each time she came to the realization she had not seen her son, the lower into depression and hopelessness she fell. She wished there was something she could do. Something...anything...

She wasn’t the only mother in suffering. Mrs. Sanchez had also lost a child. Her daughter, Penny. Milly felt so bad for the woman. She had lost not only her ex-husband, but also her daughter, to whatever force has gripped the town. It was bad enough losing her ex-husband, whom while she didn’t like, she still cared something for him, but to lose her daughter as well...and in such close proximity... Milly understood how she felt.

The two of them had been speaking to each other over the phone, hoping to learn from each other if any new details had arisen. But sadly, there was nothing. No matter what the investigators tried, nothing was coming up. No new clues, no new details, nothing. It was almost as if they simply vanished into thin air. And for that, she was kind of grateful there were blood stains, because that alerted her something was terribly wrong. If there was no blood, she would have thought that Rudy just left early, and they wouldn’t have known he was in danger until many hours later. All that time where they could have been searching for him would have been wasted, and time would be closer to running out.

Mrs. Sanchez felt guilty about about letting Penny stay over. She felt that she should have made Penny come home, so she would be safe. She didn’t blame Rudy or his family for what happened, however. She understood that Milly and Joe were suffering just as much as she was. She just wished there was something more she could have done.

Milly felt the same way. She felt that she and her husband could have prevented this from happening if they had been more careful and vigilant. If only they hadn’t been such deep sleepers, if only they had kept their bedroom door open at night, if only they paid more attention...

The blood all around her wasn’t helping her mood any. With so much blood loss from Rudy and Penny...she had no idea if they were...still alive... What happened to them that made him lose so much blood? Had their attacker beat them to death? She stifled a sob at that thought.

She hoped whoever did this was caught soon. She hoped they would be brought to justice. She hoped that they would be stopped before it was too late, before this...this monster could harm anymore people.

She went up to her son’s chalkboard. It still had some faint marks from his latest creation. She could mentally picture him standing there, working on something else and smiling at her. This choked her up. She reached over and placed her hand on the chalkboard, feeling the cold surface intermixing with the chalky dust that clung to it. She moved her hand up and down, tears streaming down her face. Rudy...she wished she knew where he was.

“Milly?”

The large woman turned and looked behind her. She saw her husband standing in the doorway, looking at her sympathetically.

“Oh, hi, Joe...” Milly replied, her voice soft and quiet.

Joe slowly walked into the room. He looked around at the blood stains, grimacing at just how much blood there was. He stood behind his wife, staring at the chalkboard his son loved to use. He wiped away a tear. He placed a comforting hand on his wife’s shoulder.

“They’ll find him, Milly.” He said, trying to sound as reassuring as possible to her.

“And what if they don’t, Joe?” Milly said, her voice cracked with emotion. The tears came faster. “No one knows where they are... No one knows what happened to these poor victims that have been disappearing from Plainsville. There...there isn’t enough evidence to find them...Oh Joe...”

She swung around and grabbed her husband into a tight hug and refused to let go. She started to cry into his shoulder. Joe’s eyes widened at the sudden gesture, but soon returned the hug. He patted his wife’s back, trying to do whatever he could to help her feel better.

“Let’s not give up hope, Milly.” Joe said. “Someone...someone will find out what happened. And we will find out. Whether it is for the better or for the worse...we’ll soon know what happened to Rudy. And whoever hurt him and those other people will be given the punishment they deserve. You’ll see.”

“I..hope you’re right, Joe.” Milly whispered. She continued crying, her mind flooded with thoughts of what could have happened to Rudy and Penny. “I really hope so...”

sss

Snap glared at the ominous timer. He hated it. He knew that it was a mocking reminder of how little time he had to save his friends. He knew that, once all those circles were filled up, the timer would activate the next death trap. He had been glad when he didn’t have to look at the thing in the previous ‘game’. But he should have realized that it wasn’t to last. He would have to get used to this thing appearing in most or all of these sinister games, staring at them, mocking them.

He held onto his golf club, squeezing it tightly. He stared down at the blue ball laying on the ground. He pressed the golf club against it, eyeing where he was going to hit it. The hole was straight ahead. He pulled back and he swung the club, hitting the ball.

As he made the motion, he let out a cry of pain. The motion had irritated the injuries on his leg and side. His knees nearly buckled, and he stumbled forward a little from the pain, which didn’t help alleviate any of it; it just made it worse. Blocky stood close by and he grabbed Snap, helping him steady himself before he fell into the ground. He looked at Snap sadly, looking like he really wanted to help him, but was helpless to do anything.

Blocky and Rapsheeba had done all they could to help Snap. Rapsheeba had turn off a large piece of her right pant leg and used it to try to stop the bleeding. This took some time, but it managed to work. The wounds were still exposed to the air, and while she managed to wrap up the wounds on his leg as well as his arm, his side was a different story. The cut ran along vertically and was so long that Rapsheeba doubted she’d have enough coverup left to create a make-shift bandage for that wound.

Snap felt that they would be able to find something soon to help treat his wounds, and for now, decided to just deal with it. He couldn’t ignore the raging pain, but he could try to manage his reaction to it. He focused on Rudy and Penny, reminding himself that he is doing this for them. The pain would not get better until he is treated, but he did manage to turn the pain into a motivator. This is what Rudy and Penny were going through. The pain... His determination to save them rose, knowing that this is what his friends were experiencing.

After Snap saw that his ball had gotten down the hole, he gave a small, uncomfortable smile. He looked up and he saw another dot fill up. They were on the tenth hole. Eight more to go. They were getting closer to winning the game; but they were also getting closer to another death trap they would have to survive.

He remembered what the note had said when they first arrived. The card was attached to the flag of the first hole, taped on hastily like whoever put it there was in a big hurry.

It had said:

“Welcome to the third game. All you need to do is play a nice game of chalk golf. Sounds relaxing, right? Well think again. One of these holes will activate the next death trap. I would love to see how you manage to get out of this. Be careful of the ground you stand on. It’s not as stable as it appears. Good luck!”

This had all three of them worried. It took a lot of courage for them to even start up the game. The fact that, at any time, the death trap could be activated, and the mention of the ground being unstable...it had all three of them on edge. The timer didn’t help either; the circles filled up at random, with no rhyme or reason. Sometimes getting a ball into the hole would fill up one circle, sometimes two, sometimes three. It all varied.

And if that wasn’t bad enough, there was a timer in this game. Twenty minutes was all they had to activate the death trap. And they weren’t allowed to cheat so they couldn’t speed anything up. And because this was chalk golf, they had to deal with the balls walking a foot away from the hole.

Normally, Snap loved this part of the game because of the challenge. But now all it did was frustrate him and make him angry. Now wasn’t the time for such delaying tactics like this. He could now see why Penny was so angry with this portion of the game. Snap wished that Bardot had chosen regular golf, but then again, this was Bardot he was thinking about. He would, of course, pick a harder form of golf just to make things even more difficult for him.

“It’s my turn.” Rapsheeba said solemnly.

Snap and Blocky moved out of the way for her. She took her red ball and placed it on the ground. They were at the next hole now, the eleventh. She pucked the ball and the three of them watched it roll down towards the loop that it had to go past. This hole was going to be one of the toughest to get past because of that darn loop. But it wasn’t like they had a choice.

They watched as Rapsheeba’s red ball just barely made it through the loop. It bounced a little when it fell from the loop, but it was on the other side at least. The red ball rolled towards the hole. It was getting very close. Snap, Blocky, and Rapsheeba held their breaths, watching intently as the ball got ever closer to the hole. Then, seconds later, the ball fell in.

Relief swept through the trio and they hugged each other for a second. It was rare that any of them were able to pull off a hole-in-one, but when they did, they were very excited and happy. With what little time they had remaining, about ten by now, the more hole-in-ones the faster they would be able to move. And the faster they’d be able to get this game done and over with, the better. They had little time to diddle dally. Rudy and Penny were in danger, and with only ten minutes on the clock remaining to finish this game...

Unfortunately, Blocky and Snap did not have as much luck sinking hole-in-ones on this hole. Snap’s ball rolled back, unable to make the loop. Blocky’s ball stopped immediately after the loop. And of course, since this was chalk golf, the balls walked a foot away, adding to the distance they had to sink the ball into the hole. Rapsheeba stayed with them; it was not considered breaking the rules if she waited for them before going down to the next hole. Snap guessed it was because he wanted all three of them together when they...had an unfortunate accident.

The three of them continued to advance through the chalk golf game. As they continued, anxiety rose in Snap’s heart. They were running out of time to finish this game. They still had several more holes to go through before the game could be considered finished. He kept looking up at the timer, seeing it counting down. Seven minutes...then six...then five... His heart raced. Time was running out.

They were only on the fifteenth hole. Most of the circles were filled up on the timer, but so far no sign of the death trap. With this hole and three more holes remaining, Snap knew that they couldn’t waste any time. He knew they had to get at least a couple of hole-in-ones if they want to finish this game in time.

But the odds of that were slim to none. Snap watched as Blocky hit his green ball, only to have it stop halfway down, then the ball walked back a foot. Blocky wasn’t the best at chalk golf, but he was still trying as hard as he could. That was all any of them could do. Try the best they can with these games, no matter how bad they actually are at them.

Blocky did soon get his ball into the hole, though. And so did Rapsheeba, who managed to sink another hole-in-one. Now it was Snap’s turn. He stared at the course, the barrels that moved back and forth, and tried to judge at what time he should hit the ball. As soon as he made an educated guess, he pucked the ball. It managed to slip through the barrels and headed towards the hole.

He and his friends watched it, tension rising up, knowing there was only three minutes left. The ball rolled around the hole. Their hearts pounded. If the ball missed...

Then the ball rolled into the hole. The three of them smiled, happy that Snap was able to pull off a hole-in-one. But their celebration couldn’t last. They still had more holes to take care of first. Snap glanced briefly at the timer. Only two minutes remaining...

Fear gripped him. How were they going to finish the game with just two minutes remaining? That seemed like an impossible feat. That would require them taking less than a minute on the final three holes. There was no way that was possible unless they all sunk hole-in-ones all the time. And that was not a likely possibility. Snap began to fear the worst. Had he...had he failed...?

Before he could go get his ball, something unexpected had happened. Well it wasn’t that they didn’t see something like this coming. It was just that they didn’t realize it would be this early in the game, when they hadn’t even reached the eighteenth hole just yet.

The numbers 1:30 flashed constantly on the timer. There was no glow like before, but the horrific laughter of Bardot could be heard. The ground beneath their feet started to quake. It wasn’t as bad as on the playground, but it was still enough to knock them off their feet. Snap cried out as he landed on his injured arm. Rapsheeba and Blocky helped him up and the three of them looked around. Fear rose up inside them as the rumbling started to get worse. Then they heard cracking and what almost sounded like bubbling.

Then, at a rapid pace and much to their horror, lava started to pour out of the golf course’s holes. The lava rapidly spread across the ground, melting and covering everything in the tremendous heat. The lava was incredibly runny, not thick like it usually was, meaning that it was able to spread faster than normal lava.

The trio screamed, looking all around as the golf course literally erupted, turning into several mini-volcanoes. The lava spewed from the ground, covering much of the course. And just when the trio thought things couldn’t get any worse, the sprinkler system activated. But Bardot had done something to it. Rather than spewing water in an attempt to cool the lava, instead fire spewed, raining down everywhere. Intense heat filled the air, and lava and few set the golf course ablaze, and smoke began to rise, making it hard to see too far in front of their faces.

“L-Lava? Fire?!” Blocky cried. He jumped as a small bit of flame almost hit him. “What are we going to do?!”

“I’ll tell you what we need to do! Run away!” Rapsheeba cried as she quickly backed up, her feet almost touching the lava.

Snap looked all around him, trembling in fear. The heat was intense, almost burning his skin. How was he going to survive this? He had a bad limp. He wouldn’t be able to easily outrun this. But he would slow down Rapsheeba and Blocky if he had them try to help him. He..he would have to do this on his own...

Snap turned to his friends. “Rapsheeba’s right! Run!”

With that, the three began to run away from the fire and lava. Smoke swirled around them, causing them to cough. Though it hurt him to run like this, almost falling over, Snap refused to ask his friends for help; he didn’t want to slow them down and risk letting them burn in the flames.

As the fiery flames and lava began to surround them more, Snap’s mind raced with a burning question. How were they going to get out of this?

sss

“Snap...no...” Rudy whispered, his voice laced in pain.

He had woken up about thirty minutes ago, along with Penny. Bardot informed them they had been out for a little while, though he did not give the time. He mentioned they had a good rest and thinks they will be in a better mood. It was obvious sarcasm of course. What he did to them..if anything it just made them even more nervous and afraid, as well as angry and wishing to be able to fight back.

As soon as he and Penny woke up and were aware of their surroundings, Bardot had informed them of Snap’s progress. He gleefully announced that Snap’s time may have come. He told Rudy and Penny about the lava and fire that he had placed under the course, and joked about how the three were about to be cooked alive. They were almost completely surrounded by the heat and flames, and with Snap’s limp, they weren’t going to be able to get out in time, it looked like.

Rudy refused to believe Snap would be beaten so easily. He had confidence that, somehow, he would be able to make it out alive. So did Penny. But still, knowing what kind of danger his friend was in, knowing that, any moment, he could die, Rudy couldn’t stop the feeling of dread from occupying his heart. To know he was this close to losing his best friend...He gave a shudder.

“Perhaps I should pull in a television set and hook my nano-cameras to them, so they can broadcast what is going on.” Bardot said in an eerie voice. “We could watch Snap die together.”

Rudy snarled at this. “You’re a sick bastard!”

Bardot smiled at Rudy. “I’m quite well aware that I am.”

Rudy just glared at him. The guy certainly wasn’t trying to act like he wasn’t a monster. He fully admits that he is, and then proceeds to do the most horrific things. Making them watch Snap die...that was just completely heartless. Everything this guy did was twisted and abhorrent. And every new action he committed, the worse he seemed when compared to Mr. Cosmo. Rudy never thought he’s think this, but he...really missed Mr. Cosmo right about now. He was easier to deal with than this guy.

The nano-cameras that Bardot mentioned.. He was familiar with them. And it had chilled him to the core, not just because of the use, but how similar it was to something Penny was working on. About seven months ago, Penny had been working on a project to create tiny nano-cameras for use in ChalkZone. She wanted to use them for peaceful reasons of course. Just exploring areas of ChalkZone they couldn’t normally reach very easily. She never got around to finishing it and the idea was put on the back burner.

The fact that Bardot somehow knew about these cameras that Penny thought of was terrifying. There was no way he could have known. Penny had only spoken to Rudy and Snap about the project, and it was always done at Snap’s house. No one was around to spy on them. There was no way Bardot could have known this.

There..there had to be a reason Bardot could know. But the only way he could have known was...

...was if he talked to Barney...

Rudy’s eyes flew open at this realization. Could that be the reason why? Could Bardot have paid Barney a ‘friendly visit’ and forced him to release the information? That was the only thing that made sense to him. It would explain how Bardot knew all this information despite being relatively young. He glared in Bardot’s direction, wanting to much to do something against him.

Yet he was still reeling back from the pain inflicted on him. His side radiated with agony, spreading across his stomach and up to the side of his chest. Bardot’s strike against his wound was a horrendously low blow. His side still ached with the pain, still feeling those claws hitting against him. And Penny was still in obvious pain from that as well. She had tried to touch her head a few times, only to cry out in pain before she even touched the wound. She was in obvious distress, rubbing the sides of her head in a futile attempt to relieve some pain. Rudy wouldn’t doubt Bardot did this to make them weaker.

Bardot smirked at the two teenagers. Rudy could see, behind him, Draow was approaching. The bat wolf stood behind the yellow and red zoner. Those piercing teal eyes stared into the teenagers’ eyes. The malice could practically be felt from where they were.

Bardot said, “It is a shame your parents aren’t here to see this. I’m sure they would love to know what’s going on with you two.” His voice was light and calm, like he was merely talking about the weather. Rudy snarled at him. “But no matter...” Bardot raised a claw. “I can soon take care of that... A family reunion is in order, don’t you think?”

Rudy’s heart started to race. Was Bardot talking about capturing their parents...? No..he couldn’t do that. Rudy wasn’t going to allow him to hurt anyone else. His parents, Penny’s mother..he was not going to allow this bastard torture them, too. His body shook in rage and he attempted to climb to his feet.

“You...” Rudy started to say.

But before Rudy had a chance to do anything, Penny had acted first. Ignoring the pain she was in, she had doved straight towards Bardot. She grabbed onto him and wrestled him into the ground. Rudy was amazed by this and watched as Penny grabbed Bardot’s throat and held him down. Bardot just smiled at her, taking her sudden assault in stride.

“Don’t you dare hurt my mother, you murderer!” Penny snarled, her voice filled with more menace than Rudy ever heard.

Bardot chuckled. “My, my..what a strong spirited girl you turned out to be. Maybe it’s time I..rectified that...”

Rudy watched in horror as Draow came in from behind and knocked Penny from Bardot. He pressed his foot against the girl, pinning her to the ground. Penny struggled to get free, but it was no use. Her previous anger was replaced with fear as she stared up at the enraged and vengeful bat wolf. Bardot came over and grabbed Penny’s left arm. He pressed it against the ground as hard as he could, immobilizing it. Then Draow raised his wing claw.

Rudy attempted to get up. “No! Don’t do it!” He pleaded. He only got a step closer before pain wracked his side, causing his knees to buckle down. He hit the ground with great force, smashing against his right hand again. Tears of pain flowed down his face. He lifted up his head and reached a hand out to where Penny was pinned down. “No!”

But his pleas fell on deaf ears. Draow pressed the claw against Penny’s arm, where the crook where the forearm and arm met at the elbow. Then he cut into her arm. Penny let out a yelp of pain. But Draow wasn’t finished. He slowly cut downward, taking his time. Fresh blood flowed rapidly from the new wound. Tears of pain dripped from Penny’s eyes as her agonizing screams filled the room.

Rudy watched in horror, his body shaking. “Penny! No!”

Seconds later, Penny passed out.


	23. The Only Way Out Is Suicidal

Snap coughed and wheezed as he tried to make his way through the fire. The heat was intense, and just getting worse by the second. He felt like he was a ham placed in an oven and lift in too long with the heat all the way up. It didn’t help that he had a horrible limp that just keeps getting worse as he forced his way through as quickly as he could.

His friends weren’t doing much better. Though they could move faster than him, they slowed down to make sure he caught up with them. They had a hard time dodging the flames and the fire. The crackling heat was all around them. The flames and the fire moved at incredible speed. Snap wondered if Bardot found a way to ‘engineer’ them to chase them.

Because that is what it felt like. The way the fire and the lava moved...it didn’t feel normal. They were too fast, too precise. Any direction they ran in, the flames and fire followed them, as if they were giving chase. And if that’s the case, then their situation was even more dire than they thought. How were they going to escape this if the fire and lava kept cutting off their paths?

“I can barely see!” Rapsheeba coughed, covering her face with her arm. Tears streamed down her face, the smoke irritating them. Her voice was scratchy, a clear effect of inhaling the smoke. “This smoke, it’s...” She let out a few more coughs.

Blocky moved behind Rapsheeba, who had stopped while she coughed. He pushed against her. “Come on, Rapsheeba! We can’t stop here!” He managed to move her forward just as a small fireball hit where she once was. “See?! Keep moving!”

Blocky was coughing as well, but it was clear he was going his best to manage it, knowing getting through the fire and lava was top priority. If they stayed here, they would either burn alive or choke to death. The smoke all around them was getting thicker and blacker by the second. More and more of the oxygen was being taken up, making it harder for the trio to breathe.

They were still moving at a good pace, which Snap regarded as hopeful. Though his friends tried to help him with his limp, he told them not to. He didn’t want to slow them down. They wouldn’t be able to move as fast if they kept helping him with his limp. He knew of the consequences he might endure. He knew that he could get badly hurt, or worse, if he didn’t accept their help. But at least, this way, they had a chance to make it out alive and go find and rescue Rudy and Penny. If he had to take the fall, then he would, even though he didn’t want to lose his life.

He tried to hide how much pain he was in from his friends. They could already tell he was, from the way he was limping, how the limp itself was getting worse. But that only scratched the surface of how he was feeling. His open wound, which Rapsheeba and Blocky weren’t able to cover up, was irritated by the heat. He felt like his insides were starting to get cooked. He could feel the heat start to burn the wound. And as he ran, the wound had started to bleed again. He could feel it running down his body.

Snap looked all around them, trying desperately to find a way out. There was glowing fiery heat all around them. Smoke made it even harder to see. Everything looked like it was glowing. The brightness made it hard for him to focus and he had to shield his eyes. As he was looking, he failed the hear the cracking of a tree.

But Blocky did.

“Look out!”

Blocky lunged at Snap and pulled him away. Snap let out a cry of pain, the yank putting pressure on his wounds. Blocky quickly apologized and released Snap. Though twitching in pain, Snap didn’t look particularly upset with Blocky. He instead looked over at the spot where he was, and his eyes widened.

A tree had falling there. All its leaves had been charred completely off, leaving it bare. The lava spread all around it, causing the tree to start to melt very slowly. It sunk into the ground. Fire swept across it, setting it ablaze. Snap’s body shook at how fast the tree was consumed by the fire and lava. He turned to Blocky and Rapsheeba and urged them to keep moving along.

Soon, Snap’s side was hurting so bad that he couldn’t keep going. He fell to the ground, landing in a heavy thud. He tried to get himself to stand up. The pain in his side wracked through his body, forcing him to stay on the ground. The wound on his leg got worse as well. Now it was hard to bend it without shockwaves of pain spreading through.

“Snap!” Rapsheeba cried as she and Blocky ran towards him.

“Go on...the fire...” Snap started to say before the smoke irritated his throat, forcing him to cough.

Rapsheeba and Blocky refused to leave him behind. Despite what Snap told them earlier, they went beside him and grabbed his arms. They lifted him up and they started to carry him away from the fire. Just like Snap predicted, their pace was slower now that they were helping him. He appreciated the help, but he felt guilty that he was still slowing them down.

“Come on...I see an opening!” Rapsheeba shouted. She pointed forward. “The lake! We’ll be safe in there!”

Yeah...the lake... That might work. It would at least keep the fire away from them. Snap wasn’t so sure about the lava. Then again, the lake was pretty deep. It would take a lot of lava for it to rise up to touch them without cooling down much. Snap wasn’t sure if the lake water was the best thing for his wounds. He cold get an infection from it. But cool water did sound good right about now. Maybe it would help slow down the bleeding too.

The three of them rushed towards the lake. They managed to dodge the fire and lava coming in from all around them. Despite the aggravating heat and irritating smoke, they kept moving as fast as they could. The fire couldn’t get to them while in the water. They could find another way out once they got in the water. Maybe a secret tunnel or something they could use to get away from the flames. Or they could swim across to the other side, despite how steep it was. Snap could see the fire wasn’t over there.

Soon, the trio jumped into the water. The instant of feeling the cold liquid against their bodies sent shockwaves through their systems. It was such a stark contrast compared to the fiery heat they had to endure. Their heads ached from the sudden change in temperature, making them feel a little sick.

The cold water hitting Snap’s open wound felt both good..and terrible. The cool temperature did help numb the pain a little bit, but the feeling of water rushing into his insides was not a comfortable feeling. As he looked at the water, he noticed it was turning a dark red. His blood...he was losing more of it than he thought. Already he started to feel a little whoozy. He managed to shake it off and remain focused on his surroundings.

He and his friends began to swim over to the other side. The fire still hadn’t reached that spot. If they could just get there quickly, they could make a break for it and locate the next riddle. Snap had a bit of an easier time swimming than walking since the water supported his weight and he wasn’t putting pressure on his injured leg. The pain hadn’t gone away by any means, but it was a tiny bit more manageable in the cold water. And at least, in this way, they were kinda getting cleaned out, even though there was a very big chance they were also going to get infected. He wasn’t sure how clean this water was.

But of course...luck wasn’t on his side this time. There was a loud whoosh sound. They couldn’t tell where the source was, but they could tell what its effect was. Snap, Rapsheeba, and Blocky watched in horror as a tiny yellow orange line started to travel along the remaining part of the lake’s edge. In seconds, fire shot through the air, creating a wall of flames that completely surrounded them. They looked around, horrified expressions on their faces as they frantically tried to find their way out.

Then, to add salt in the wound, the lava started to pour into the lake, dripping from one side of the lake. Thankfully, it didn’t surround the lake like the fire did. But the three of them knew that the lava was going to raise the temperature of the lake pretty quickly...

They were completely trapped with nowhere to go. A wall of fiery heat kept them locked in, the temperature rising higher and higher. The smoke grew thicker, threatening to choke them to death. Now lava was filling the lake, which will raise the temperature and pretty much cook them to death. They had to get out of there and fast. But how? There was nowhere to go. There was no secret underground tunnel in this lake they could use. And with the lava down there, going underwater would just make things a lot worse for them. It really did seem completely hopeless at this point.

Snap winced as he felt the lake’s temperature’s rising already. The coolness that kept his sides from hurting as much went away. The numbness disappeared and now the water was starting to irritate him. And it was just going to get worse as the temperatures start to soar and the water begins to burn him. He had to find a way out of here, and fast.

“We’re trapped!” Rapsheeba cried, looking all around her. She let out a few coughs. “But..there has to be some way out of here!”

“I’m sure there is!” Snap shouted. The roar of the fire made it hard for them to hear each other, so they had to practically yell to be heard. “We just need to think harder!”

“We can think as hard as we want to. I don’t think that’s going to help us get past the fire!” Blocky said, sounding absolutely terrified. “I never thought I’d go out like this.”

“No one is going out!” Snap shouted, determination laced in his voice. “Not on my watch!”

“But what are we going to do?” Blocky asked.

Snap’s expression softened. Though he wasn’t willing to give up, he had to admit, he had no idea how he was going to get them out of this mess. “I don’t know...I really don’t know...”

sss

“Hmm it seems little Snappy boy is in a bit of a pickle.” Bardot said jokingly. He paced around Rudy, staring him up and down. Rudy glared hatefully at him. “I wonder how he will get out of this mess.”

“I don’t think he will.” Draow said, snarling a little. “Which means I won’t have my chance to sink my teeth into that little blue rodent.”

Bardot chuckled and shook his head. “Oh ye of little faith. That little blue rodent is more potent than he looks. I’m sure a little fire isn’t going to stop him. Now...” Bardot said as he turned around, wagging his tail from side to side. “I’m going to go check the cameras again..see his progress. Maybe he made it out already.” He gave Draow a sideways glance. “You stay here with our guests.”

“Yes.” Draow nodded obediently to the hybrid zoner. He looked down at Rudy, his muzzle curling into a smile. He kept his distance from the boy. He settled on the ground, almost like a bird...kinda, sorta. “Just you and me now, kid, eh?”

Rudy didn’t bother answering him. He didn’t want to see Draow. He didn’t want to hear him. He wanted him to go away. His heart was filled with hate for this monster. He wished, for once, the two of them would leave him and Penny alone. He wanted some time away from them. Some time away from having to see their faces, or hear their voices. Especially after what they had done...

Rudy’s gaze turned to Penny, who laid on the ground beside him. It was hard dragging her back over here with just one arm. He managed to do it, little by little. Penny was unconscious at the moment. She would wake up soon. He was certain of that. But she was going to be in a lot of pain. Draow hadn’t exactly gone easy on her. Those screams..he’ll never get them out of his head.

“Looks like your girlfriend lost a bit of her spark.” Draow said, letting out a dark chuckle.

Rudy threw him a hateful glare. “Shut up.”

Draow narrowed his eyes. “Watch it. You’re lucky that Bardot wants you two alive for a while longer. Otherwise, I would have done much worse. You should be grateful I didn’t kill her, because I sure would have done so in a heartbeat.”

“She did nothing to deserve that...” Rudy said in a dark voice. The hostility practically glowed from his voice.

Draow’s ears pricked. “Perhaps you are right, child. Because it is you that I hate the most.” He moved his head forward a little. He curled his lips up, showing off his sharp fangs. “Oh I would love tear into you right now. But I must wait. I’ll get my chance. And besides, torturing you mentally works just as well.” He glanced at Penny’s prone form for a second, then back to Rudy. “I’ll have to settle for that, for the time being. It’s just as satisfying toying with your girlfriend most of the time anyway.”

Rudy snarled. His body shook in anger. He draped his left arm carefully over Penny in a protective manner. He stared at Draow with a determined look, clearly telling the beast, without words, that he is not going to allow him to hurt Penny anymore. It was an empty threat; there wasn’t much he could do. But he would still try to protect Penny. She had been through enough already, yet these monsters continue to inflict pain on her.

Draow had cut along Penny’s arm. Not too deeply, but it was in far enough to draw a good amount of blood from her. Penny had passed out from the pain. But the brute didn’t stop there. He continued cutting along her arm until there was a pretty long gash. Then he took her in his jaws, his mouth clamped over her shoulder, and shook her, tearing up some flesh. Then he threw her into the ground with great force. Rudy was horrified by the sight of her torn shoulder.

In desperation and anger, he yelled at the two, asking them why would they risk such serious injuries if they wanted them alive for a while. And when Bardot spoke, it was the most chilling thing he ever heard. Bardot walked up to him, put his face close to his, and and spoken in a soft voice. He told the boy that keeping them alive merely meant they still had a heart beat. He said that, even if they were beaten within an inch of their life, unconscious and unable to move, so long as they had a heart beat, he was good on his word.

That was horrifying for Rudy to hear. Bardot basically said that he could do all kinds of horrific things to them, but as long as they were at least barely alive, it would suit his needs. He also mentioned that letting them bleed out would also help with the dehydration thing. As if dying of thirst wasn’t bad enough... As he and Penny lose more and more blood, and as they grow weaker, it was speeding up the dehydration process.

Then came the most terrifying part. Bardot mentioned that, at the rate they will be losing blood, they will die of dehydration in a matter of three days from the point of their capture. This chilled Rudy to the bone, as he realized that they had been captives for over 24 hours now. It is on day 2. They only had until sometime tomorrow or the day after to live.

That gave Snap even less time to find them. Rudy still tried to remain hopeful, though. Heck, even Bardot still believed Snap would be able to pull through. That was one of the very few credits Rudy cold give to that hybrid beast. He didn’t underestimate his enemies. He fully accepted that Snap could be a threat to him, never once laughing at the idea of Snap making it all the way to challenge him. Although considering Bardot was their kidnapper and Penny’s father's murderer, he wasn’t about to give Bardot a whole lot of leeway.

He was torn from his thoughts when Draow spoke again.

“It’s going to be so satisfying if that cobalt maggot you call a friend gets here.. By the time he does, he will be so beaten up from Bardot’s games that it will be easy for me to kill him.” Draow sneered. “It might be a little disappointing..I like feeling my victims squirm as I tear into them. But it will still be satisfying nonetheless. And I will enjoy looking at your expression as I crush his skull open...”

Rudy snapped his head back and snarled, clenching his teeth tightly. He would have said something, but what could he say to this monster? It wasn’t like he had any regrets. Rudy didn’t think he even could do such a thing, as that would require having a heart. And this guy clearly lacked one.

Draow just smirked at his silence. “Your parents will be fun to toy with, too... I wonder if they even know your little secret, Rudy. I wonder how they will feel when they find out.”

Rudy’s eyes widened in horror, then narrowed in hatred. “Don’t you fucking dare touch my parents...”

Draow’s ears flattened and his eyes glowed with hate, but a smile remained on his muzzle, though it was pretty faint. “You forget who is in charge here, kid... And besides.. Don’t you miss mommy and daddy?” Draow asked in a taunting voice. “Don’t you think you’ll be able to endure this better...as a family?” He chuckled.

Rudy felt the urge to lunge at Draow, but he kept himself on the ground. He wasn’t in any condition to be jumping at anyone. And he wanted to keep his mind focused on Penny. He did his best to ignore Draow after that and focused on Penny. Though Draow made a few more cold remarks, he did eventually go quiet when he realized Rudy was no longer going to respond to him. Draow laid his head on the ground and closed his eyes.

Rudy gently ran his left hand along the back of Penny’s head, stroking her hair. He drew in a shaky breath, overlooking her arm’s horrific new injury. He looked up towards the rocky ceiling. He gave a soft whisper.

“Please, hurry Snap.”

sss

Snap kept looking around, trying to find a way out of the flames. His friends were coughing harder. So was he. The heat was getting unbearable. The temperature of the water rose greatly. It was now pretty warm, and it was going to get burning hot really soon. The pain in his injuries started to get worse, and it was starting to get a little difficult keeping his head above the water.

There didn’t seem to be any way out of this. All the paths were blocked. There was no tunnel underwater they could use. The edges of the lake were covered in flames. He looked around again, desperate to find a way out. But nothing seemed to pop up. There was no escape route. They were trapped. There was no way out of here. His heart started to race, realizing this might really be the end for them.

No... He shook his head. No, there had to be some way out. Something he was not thinking of. He looked all around. Then he started to realize something. Perhaps he needed to think a little differently. All this time, he was busy trying to find a place where there wasn’t any fire. But maybe a slightly different approached would be the better one.

And then he saw it. He saw something that just might allow them to escape. He looked at his two friends. They were in obvious distress. He looked back at what he saw. It was crazy. It was suicidal. But it was their only chance now.

Ignoring the pain in his leg, side, and arm, he grabbed Rapsheeba and Blocky. Using as much strength as he could muster, he started swimming in one direction. He moved as fast as he could, doing his best to ignore the heat and the pain. He pushed his legs harder, propelling them faster through the water.

Blocky shouted, “Snap! Are you crazy?!”

“Stop!” Rapsheeba cried in terror. “This is suicide!”

Snap didn’t listen. He didn’t answer. He was focusing his attention on swimming forward. He refused to let go of his friends. He kept them pressed up against him. Although it hurt, he did his best to manage it. A few tears of pain dripped from his eyes and he let out a few whimpers, but otherwise, his mind was focused on what was head. He was swimming straight towards the fire, to a small section where the fire was the thinnest.

He had only one shot at this. One wrong move, and they were toast. Literally. He pushed himself even harder, moving even faster towards the thin part of the fire wall. As they almost got to the right point, Snap started to tense up his leg muscles, storing more and more energy in them. And then, when the got to the right point, he leaped out of the water, holding his friends at his sides still. He closed his eyes and held his breath, praying they would make it.

The three of them soared through the air. They went past the flames. Screams of pain filled the air as the fire hit them, starting to burn them a little. But they went through so fast that not a whole lot f fire managed to get on them. They hit the ground in a heavy thud and roll across the grass. The few flames that managed to light on them were immediately put out.

They laid on the ground, coughing and wheezing. All of them sported a few burn marks from the fire. Snap’s side wound looked even worse now. The wound looked a little burnt. Not much. Not enough to be life threatening, but his side hurt even worse now. And the wounds on his leg and arm faired no better, the cloth burnt from the flames.

But though they were out of the flames, they weren’t out of the woods just yet. They all had inhaled so much smoke that their minds were unable to function properly at the moment. Dizziness overwhelmed them. Their heads swayed back and forth before they finally collapse on the ground, going unconscious.


	24. He Is The Unkillable

Judging from the outside of the rhino-shaked entrance, it doesn’t seem, at a glance, that there would be too much inside of it. There was the room where Rudy and Penny were being held, which was a decent size itself, looking like it was “manmade” in a sense. However, looks are deceiving, as there was a lot more inside this structure that meets the eye.

There were some tunnels, twisting and winding that went further down. Each level had a thin floor made of stone and wood. Whoever had built the place sure knew what they were doing. The structure looked like it took years to built, but with the blue chalk, it might have only taken a few hours. There were multiple rooms that were well hidden. Most of them were empty, like it wasn’t yet decided what they were going to be for.

In one particular room, it was completely dark with no source of light, unlike most of the other rooms. The room was half the size that Rudy and Penny were being held in. There were multiple machines stacked together, black in color with multiple colored lights. There was the steady hum of a machine, the whirring of machinery inside.

Lining the walls was a honeycomb of square domes with rounded edges. There looked to be at least twenty of them. And each one had a line down the middle, so technically there were fourty of these objects. There was a slight shine to them, reflecting the imagery of the cave. It was faint, yet anyone who took a closer look could see it. And when a certain yellow and red zoner would show up, the bright colors showed up very clearly.

In a matter of seconds, the objects flickered, revealing that they were screens. Monitors all lined up in multiple rows on the rocky wall. A few of them showed nothing but static; the cameras for them not activated. But a few in the center were on. Images of a section of ChalkZone came into full view, illuminating the dark room.

The room wasn’t empty of occupants for very long. Slowly, Bardot walked up, his body partially hidden in shadow. The only bit of light shining on him were the monitors. His green eyes fixated on the center monitors. He narrowed his eyes a little, his pupils moving slightly as he studied what the monitor was showing him. Then, seconds later, his crest and ears pricked up. Something had caught his eye.

Bardot moved up to the monitor. He had a feeling that this system was going to come in handy for what his plans were. Keeping track of everything; that was an important aspect of any plan. And that was something that Mr. Cosmo never fully implimented. He was not going to make the same mistakes that man did. He would not underestimate anyone.

Bardot took notice of what the monitor was showing up. He could see his three game players on the ground. They didn’t look like they had gone far from the golf course, yet there were no flames. Bardot simply shrugged it off. Some kid must have drawn a storm and erased it near this area or something. It wasn’t against the rules, so he wasn’t going to charge it against the trio. As he looked more closely, he could see that the trio weren’t simply laying down; they were unconscious. His eyes widened just a tiny bit at this. He hoped they would wake up soon; he didn’t want to have set up all these games for nothing.

All three of them looked as though they sustained some injuries. Just like he predicted, Snap was enduring most of the pain. He smiled at this. Just like how he had planned. All this...it was simply a test. A test to see just how good this guy really was. He knew that it was so easy to underestimate the blue boy. Indeed, looking at him, he doesn’t seem like much. But Bardot wasn’t stupid. He knew Rudy had designed him to be a hero, so Snap’s competence must be pretty high.

He had been glad he gone through with this plan in the first place. He did have some doubts, an unfortunate side effect of being half white chalk. Recruiting Draow was a very smart choice. Though Draow couldn’t possibly understand his entire line of thinking, the bat wolf was so determined to get revenge on Rudy, Penny, and Snap that he was willing to go along with anything. The bat wolf was impulsive, but his brute strength made this scheme all the easier to execute.

Revenge...what a silly concept. It was nothing more than a sucker’s game. An infection of sorts that plagues white chalk drawings. It something that amused him. One would think that red chalk drawings were more vengeful. That wasn’t so much the case, as they were just more vicious. White chalk drawings are the ones who are capable of choosing to get back at someone. Red chalk drawings are just nasty to everyone and have no sense of loyalty; revenge was far removed from their minds.

He would have told Draow that getting revenge on the three for what they did to his master, but then that would have lost him a valuable ally. Though Bardot didn’t currently have interest in seeking revenge, or at least he never saw much of a reason for it, and never experienced a time when he felt vengeful, he knew how to exploit one’s desire to seek revenge against another. It might be a silly idea, one that would bring about no real results, but it was useful in one way. It made it so much easier to recruit allies for whatever he himself had wanted.

Being half white chalk, Bardot is aware that he could start feeling vengeful at some point. In fact, there were a few times during his talk with his ‘guests’ that he did feel some anger. When Penny had knocked him down, that was when he was hit with it the worst. He had, luckily, managed to control himself. He wasn’t going to allow his white chalk half to poison his motivations.

Bardot had an excellent memory and he recalled what Barney had told him. He had paid him a visit not long after he was first erased, so he could have time to plan these games. The zoner was reluctant at first, but a little bit of torture and threats go a long way, and he was soon able to force the zoner to relinquish any information he could ever want. And as Bardot was not the kind of zoner to lie, he let the zoner go after he got all the information he wanted. But not before threatening him again if he dared tell anyone else about what he was going to do.

From what he was able to learn, Mr. Cosmo had lost against Rudy because he was foolish enough to let his anger get the better of him. Blinded by this emotion, he had attempted to murder Rudy, but only ended up killing himself. Bardot shook his head at this. The man might have won if he hadn’t been such a fool. If he really wanted to kill Rudy, he should have just drawn a gun and blasted his brains out. But in the end, his pride did him in. How typical...

Yet, Bardot was no fool. Being part white chalk, again, he knew of the risks of being affected by that side. While having a white chalk half was beneficial, it still came with its own risks. And knowing how Mr. Cosmo was when he snapped and lost it, Bardot was well aware that he would be much worse if he finally snapped, if he was unable to control his anger.

His red chalk side, the natural viciousness he had, combined with vengefulness and anger, Bardot guessed that, if he had finally lost it, he was going to go into an animal-like state. A beastly mind replacing his intelluctual one, and he would behave a lot more like the pure red chalk drawings. Unable to stop, he would go on a rampage, trying in vain to kill whoever he was angry at. While this might be efficient if there was someone he really wanted to get rid of, it was not something he could afford happening now.

In that state, he would not be able to think properly. He would simply attack blindly. And with all the planning he had been doing, he just couldn’t afford snapping like that. So far, he had been managing his anger quite well, keeping on an eerily calm mask and fighting back any urge to strike simply out of spite. If he wanted to remain in control of the situation, he first needed to learn to control himself.

Bardot grew bored of watching the monitor. Nothing had changed. Snap, Rapsheeba, and Blocky were still unconscious. If they didn’t wake up soon, he would just have to contact them via radio and hope they would answer. If worse came to worse, he might even show up in person and shake them awake. They were wasting precious time, and he still wanted to have fun with them. He wasn’t done torturing them or their human friends just yet.

He looked at some of the recorded footage. He needed to know exactly what happened in order to properly relay it to the teenagers. He didn’t always catch everything, so the nano-cameras he created were designed to playback footage at his command. As the images flashed in front of him, a dark smile spread across his face. He was impressed by just how brave Snap was turning out to be.

Bardot headed down the tunnels. He decided it was time to check on the two human guests, as well as give them an update on their little blue friend. He smirked a little. This was one of his favorite parts. He liked seeing the looks on their faces as he described what had happened, especially all the bad things. Emotions can be a powerful thing, and it was his primary weapon in keeping Rudy and Penny in line. Their injuries helped with that, too.

After he checked on those two and made sure Snap and his two friends were awake, he might just decide to call his spy. He had little use for him now, though having him place the cards that he and Draow forgot to do was handy. And he still hadn’t thanked him for his cooperation in helping him break into the jail. The children weren’t aware of this, but it was also an inside job. He wondered how long it would take for Skrawl to realize he was working with an enemy.

Speaking of Skrawl, his investigation might cause some problems. He was certain that he would be aware of the sinkhole and the lava and fire that suddenly appeared and no doubt he would want those looked at. If Skrawl became a problem, Bardot would have him dealt with. No one was going to interfere with his plans. No one...

He stood in the entrance of the room where Rudy and Penny were held. He just stood there, looking around, studying the three occupants. Draow was asleep, or at least that was how he looked at a glance. A closer look revealed that he just had his head turned to the side. His eyes were open and he looked like he was staring intently at Rudy and Penny. This guy really was obsessed with those two.

Bardot turned his head to the two teenagers. He could see that Penny had woken up. She looked shaken from the pain she experienced, which was understandable. Draow did do quite a number on her. Not that it mattered. His time torturing, playing with, and killing those five other humans did teach him a bit on how durable the humans were, and he knew how to inflict the most pain and damage without outright killing them. If Penny thought what Draow did to her was bad, she hadn’t seen anything yet. Soon...oh so very soon...she would experience a nightmare.

Rudy had spotted Bardot in the doorway. He responded by growling lowly and holding Penny closer to him with his left arm. Bardot smiled at his clear loyalty. He must really care for the female human if he is holding her protectively like that. But behind his determination, he could clearly see pain. His hand was broken badly by Draow. A blow that was meant to attack his mind, make him feel helpless. And yet, somehow, he still remains hopeful. Impressive...

He decided not to keep his two ‘guests’ waiting any longer. He started to make his way towards them. Rudy narrowed his eyes as he got closer. Though Penny still looked defiant, it was clear that Draow’s attack did have some effect on her. There was a bit more fear in her eyes this time around.

Bardot continued to walk forward until he stopped five feet away from the teens. His tail swished around, much like an excited cat ready to pounce. “Your friend made it through the fire. I must admit, I am quite impressed by him. It...must have taken a lot of courage to jump through a wall of fire like that.” He smirked at the shocked expressions on the humans’ faces. “All that fire dancing around them, threatening to burn them alive... They did catch on fire, but no worries. They survived...though Snappy boy may have just made things worse for himself. Seems his open wound suffered some burns. That..is going to be a problem.”

Though the two humans looked clearly angry at them, neither of them replied. They must have learned that responding to him won’t do them any good. Bardot didn’t mind. That just gave him more time talk about what happened.

“And infection is a likely problem. It’s going to be worse now that his side injury is worse from being charred in the fire.” Bardot paused for a moment. This reminded him of something. He looked over at Rudy. “Does this remind you of anything, boy? Oh yes..it should... Your friend suffered burns before, on his feet I believe. I wonder if this burn is going to slow him down much.”

Rudy snarled in response. Penny glared at him hatefully, looking like she was ready to spring at him again. But a quick glare from Draow made the two humans abandon these plans. And a good thing, too. Bardot didn’t want them dying on them just yet. They were already badly hurt, and they weren’t yet ready to do more damage to them. Everything was spaced out. If they did everything to them at once, well, they’d be dying prematurely.

Bardot walked slowly around the two teenagers, keeping his distance so they wouldn’t be able to strike at him. He studied their expressions. His eyes moved across their wounds, taking into account their severity. After circling them three times, he moved back and headed towards Draow. He sat in front of the bat wolf and cocked his head to the side.

They had lost quite a bit of blood already. Dehydration would soon start to settle in. He could tell that they were already thirsty and very hungry. Yet he was not going to allow them a bite to eat. Allowing them to die of dehydration wasn’t his favorite methods as he really wanted to eat them right now. He loved the taste of humans. But for the purpose of these games he came up with, waiting around for them to die was something he was going to have to endure.

“Your friend is performing admirably...” Bardot said. “He must be really skilled to have survived three games so far. And there’s still more left he must endure.”

“Toying with lives..how despicable...” Penny muttered under her breath.

Bardot cast an eye on her. “I see the bit of torture you recieved has done little to put out your fire, little Penny. But don’t worry. I’ll have that taken care of soon enough. I don’t think you’ll have much fight left in you when Draow...”

He was cut off before he could finish.

“Bite me.” Penny growled.

Bardot’s eyes widened a little at this. Even Rudy looked surprised by what Penny said. So it seemed Penny still did have a lot of spirit left in her. Yes, something would need to be done about that soon. The more Penny was hurting, the more Rudy would hurt as well. And the more pain he was in, the easier it would be to control him, and keep him from fighting back. He wanted both him and Penny to be at their absolute worst when Snap arrived. He wanted to see the look on his face when he sees what condition his friends are in.

Rudy recovered from his shock and said, “If you hurt Penny again, I swear, I’ll make you sorry.”

Bardot turned to face him. “Oh really now? Well don’t worry. You’ll be in the same boat as her.”

After that, the two humans stopped talking to him. They continued to glare hatefully at him. He just smiled back. These humans can be so amusing sometimes. He turned his attention over to Draow. The bat wolf stared at him. Judging from his expression, he was confused.

Bardot said, “What is it?”

“I just don’t understand.” Draow said, moving his tail to one side, curling it up. “I don’t know why you can’t just send me out to finish the job. The blue rodent is injured and weak. Now is the time to attack.” His pupils shrank into dots. “I want to make him sorry for taking out my master’s eye.”

Bardot shook his head. “Oh my dear Draow, if I did that, then I won’t know exactly what Snap is capable of. I won’t know how far his reputation will go.”

Draow tilted his head, confused. “Reputation? What reputation?” Even Rudy and Penny looked confused by this statement and were staring at Bardot, expecting him to explain further.

“You see, I have come up with my own nickname for Snap. The Unkillable.” Bardot said, putting emphasis on the nickname. “And as I’m certain you want to know why...well..it’s because of how he miraculously survived against the odds. The Dark Creator put him through so much pain, gave him so many injuries. He almost died...and yet he still stands. Alive. So I thought to myself...” Bardot glanced at Rudy and Penny, giving them the creepiest of smiles, his eyes glinting with malicious intent. He turned back to Draow. “...just how ‘unkillable’ is he? How much of a beatdown can he take before he finally falls? I want to see how far I can make him crawl before he dies...”

Draow picked his head up higher, his ears straight in the air. “So what you’re telling me is that the primary purpose of these games is to...”

“These games are nothing more than an elaborate torture machine, designed to test his limits, and by the end, you or me will put him out of his misery.” Bardot said, giving a dark laugh.

Draow chuckled in response. “You really are more twisted than my master.” His eyes glinted. “I like that...”

Rudy and Penny clung to each other a little tighter, staring at the two in fear and horror at what they had just heard.

sss

Snap slowly opened up his eyes. Everything around him was a haze. For a moment, he had forgotten where he was. As he raised his head to look around, seeing nothing but a blur of colors, he realized he was feeling really whoozy and tired. His head was hurting him, and he reached up to rub it.

As his vision started to clear, he looked around and saw Blocky and Rapsheeba on the ground. They had just woken up as well, but they hadn’t tried sitting up. It was like they were too dazed or in too much pain to move. He wondered why they were here with him. He didn’t recall bringing them with anywhere, at least not at first.

He attempted to get up, but a horrible pain in his left leg caused him to fall back down. What the? What did he do to his leg? He held onto his left leg and looked at it. Pieces of what appeared to be cloth covered the leg. He gingerly pressed his hand on it. Seering pain forced him to pull his hand away. He then noticed that his left arm had cloth wrapped around it too, and he could now feel a dull pain eminating from it. Fear started to well up inside of him. How did this happen?

When he tried again to get up, a shooting, jabbing pain in his side forced him back down. He looked at his left side and was horrified by what he saw. There was a gaping hole in his side, a deep gash that ran along vertically. He could see a bit of his flesh was charred and it constantly stung him even when he wasn’t touching it. Even just moving slightly sent an assault of pain throughout his body. He felt something warm drip from the wound.

Blood.

Snap looked at the ground he laid on and realized, trembling in horror, that he had lost a ton of blood. The entire ground was covered in blood, colored a deep red. And that was when memories came flooding back to him. Bardot, the games, the chocolate bunnies tearing him apart, the fire, jumping through the fiery flames...

The smoke...they must have been knocked out by the smoke. Oh no... His eyes widened in fear. Just how long had they been out? How much time did they waste just laying around here?

Snap looked over at Rapsheeba and Blocky. He saw that both of them were now sitting up. They groaned in pain, both of them having suffered a few minor burns on their bodies. “What...what time is it...?” Snap asked, his voice laced in fear.

Rapsheeba glanced down at her watch. “Six in the morning...”

Snap’s body started to shake. A cold realization froze his heart. “Oh no...”

They had been out cold for two hours.


	25. Survive His Maze

Snap, Rapsheeba, and Blocky didn’t waste any time going towards the next game. The fact that they wasted two hours, even if it wasn’t their fault, scared them. That was two hours they no longer had to find Rudy and Penny. Two hours that they would no longer get back. Snap believed they could still make it, but now they’d have to really hurry.

Snap had a hard time moving with his injuries now worsened. Even bending his leg was a problem. But he did his best to fight against the pain. He didn’t want to slow his friends down. As long as he kept his mind focused on finding Rudy and Penny, he could manage the pain...somewhat. It still hurt so much to walk, and the burn on his side was going to give him problems later, he could tell.

But he had a feeling it was just going to get worse from here. If he couldn’t even manage this pain, how would he be able to stand up to Bardot? That zoner, from what he could tell, was downright vicious. He was going to have be prepared when he faced him. Was he scared? Oh yes. He was terrified of the idea of going up against this guy, a zoner who seemed to be doing all this just for fun. He wasn’t even sure what to expect in their upcoming fight. But for Rudy and Penny..he would do it. If he had to lay down his life so they could be safe, he would.

Rapsheeba and Blocky noticed he was limping terribly and they took action. Snap expected them to grab his arms again like before and carry him with them. But they seemed to take the hint that he wouldn’t want to slow them down. They still wanted to help, however. So they came up with a compromise.

They located a stick that was laying nearby. It looked black, most likely charred from the fire. They tested it to make sure it was safe to use. Judging from their expressions, Snap could tell that it was cool to the touch. They picked it up and carried it over to him. They handed it over to him. Snap grabbed it and looked at it. The stick was a good size, just the right height for him. It was pretty thick and he guessed he could put his weight on it without it breaking.

Snap tested the stick out. He held it in his left hand, since it was his left leg that was giving him problems. In fact, all his bad injuries were on his left side. His arm, his leg, his side...all he needed now was an injury on his face to complete the picture. He hoped that, by the time he gets to where his friends are, he’ll still be in some condition to fight.

He started to walk with the stick. Though it didn’t help alleviate much of the pain, it was an improvement. He found it was easier to walk using the stick to help support some of his weight. He thanked his friends for the help, and they continued on their way.

They walked away from the charred landscape. It was a total mess. The ground burned to almost pitch black. Dark-colored smoke continued to rise from the ground, wisping and dancing in the air. The smell of it still hung strongly in the air, causing them to wrinkle their nose and turn away, remembering how they were almost burned alive.

Looking at the destroyed golf course chilled Snap. He recalled that, not so long ago, he and his two human friends were having a good time here. It was hard to believe it was the last time they would ever be able to have fun before something serious had happened. It was here, in the spot they were now walking away from, that they learned about Draow’s escape. It was where all the trouble began for them. All because of some insane zoner who was clearly out of his mind.

Figuring out the next clue wasn’t exactly easy. But unlike the others, Snap did have a bit of an easier time figuring it out. He half wondered if that was because Bardot saw his frustration and made them easier, or maybe he was merely getting better. Nah, it couldn’t be because of Bardot. He wouldn’t lighten things up at all. No, this was because he was just getting a little better at solving them. Each riddle had something to do with him.

The riddle was:

“A place you have been to before  
Although you weren’t the one settling the score  
One so delusional forced your friend to fight  
And made you to watch in fright  
As you traverse through this land  
Beware of the many passages at hand”

They did spend some time trying to figure out this riddle. Blocky didn’t really have much of a clue. He reread it over and over, but he was unable to come up with anything. Snap wasn’t surprised. It wasn’t like Blocky followed him everywhere he went in ChalkZone. So there would be some riddles that the teal-colored rectangle would not be able to figure out.

Rapsheeba had some idea. She said that the riddle did remind her of something that had happened. It was ringing a bell, but like Blocky, she had a hard time figuring out. She did look over the riddle one more time, and she continued to think until she had to sit down for a bit and rubbed her head for a little while.

Snap had a feeling that whatever this riddle was talking about referred to something that happened to both him and her. Something that they may have forgotten about or just weren’t thinking of. A lot of things happen in ChalkZone. It was easy to, eventually, kinda forget some of the things that happened. It was understandable. It’s not like it’s gone from their memories entirely; a quick reminder was usually all that was needed for them to remember.

And Rapsheeba’s familiarity along with the phrase ‘one so delusional’ did give Snap a good idea on what the riddle was talking about. He told them it must be talking about Jack-O-In-The-Box. As soon as he said that, Rapsheeba had snapped her fingers and said that was what she was thinking of. Blocky was confused, so the two of them quickly explained to him what happened, how Jacko was obsessed with getting a bride, how he mistook Rudy’s jack-o-lantern as a bride and wanted revenge on him for stealing ‘her’ away, how he trapped him in a maze in hopes of killing him.

Snap concluded that Bardot wanted them to traverse through Jacko’s maze. Although they hadn’t gotten there yet, and though he knew it would be something else entirely, he was inclined to think that is what the riddle alluded that they were going to do. The talk of ‘many passages at hand’ and being cautious of them made it sound like they’d have to go through the zombie maze, where there were all sorts of dead ends and circles they could wander into.

As they headed towards night zone, Snap felt a warm stickiness in his side. He looked down and winced. His side wound was getting worse, and he thought he could see the start of an infection. And, to his horror, the wounds on his leg and arm were starting to open up again. He could see bright red staining them. All this walking around wasn’t good for his wounds. He needed some way to get proper bandages. But it was against the rules to ask for any help. And the fact that he was getting a little hungry and thirsty didn’t make the situation any better either. He tried his best to ignore it; they might find something soon.

Walking through the graveyard in their situation was chilling. Most of them were empty since zoners did not die of natural causes. Well not in the same sense as humans. Zoners were still mortal, and it wasn’t just water that could kill them. They can still be beaten to death, stabbed to death, crushed to death, etc. So some zoners were indeed buried out here, the ones that weren’t so lucky. And given their current situation, how he and his two friends and two human friends were fighting for their lives, a graveyard...wasn’t the best place for them to be.

Yet they had no choice. They soon found a note that confirmed that this was the location. Snap read the note out loud.

“Welcome to the fourth game. The objective of this game is similar to what you went through in the Candycane Forest. Try to get to the end of the maze without being mauled by zombies. They are hungry and they want your flesh. If you aren’t careful, this is where you will be buried. And beware; this game may require a sacrifice.”

They shuddered at this. That was not such a pleasant thing to read in a graveyard. They could see the maze was already set up for them. They weren’t sure where Jacko was. Had he been forced to work with Bardot? Or did he do this willingly? Or was he killed or driven out by Bardot?

Snap looked around and he couldn’t find any sign of Jacko. He expected him to come in and introduce himself like he usually does, even give some ‘pointers’ or mock them as he activated the maze. But the maze was already up and he was nowhere in sight. Snap wasn’t sure if he felt reassured by this or frightened. He looked left and right. Just what happened to Jack-O-In-The-Box?

They didn’t get too far when they noticed another note. They were confused. They already found one for the riddle, and one for the game itself. But none of the other games had a third card to go along with them. So why was this place so different? Snap guessed the card might be additional rules, or maybe just a taunting note from Bardot.

He hobbled over, careful not to let himself slip, gripping the stick in his left hand tightly. He lowered himself towards the note, which was staped to a tombstone not far from where the maze itself began. He picked it up and read it.

“Since I do not want you dying so early, here is something to help you along. Do not worry. I did not taint or poison them in any way. Do not expect me to do this again. Use this wisely and sparingly. And don’t mistake this to be from the ‘kindness of my heart’; I am merely doing it to offset the two hours you wasted taking a little nap. And to ensure that you last at least a little longer.

-Bardot”

Snap growled as he finished reading the note. Leave it to Bardot to think lightly of them having passed out from the smoke inhalation, and relegate it something trivial like ‘falling asleep on the job’. He crumbled the note and threw it to the ground in anger. His two friends approached him and looked at him sympathetically.

Blocky reached over and pulled out what Bardot had been talking about. It was a first aid kit. It did look untampered with. Snap was still skeptical. He wasn’t sure if he could trust anything left behind by Bardot. But a burning pain in his side told him he may be better off giving it a chance and having his wounds treated before they continued.

Rapsheeba opened up the kit and proceeded treating Snap’s wounds. She took care of the one on his arm first. She took off the cloth wrapped around his arm and cleaned it. She managed to stop the bleeding, pressing a cloth against the arm. She then wrapped clean bandages around it, sealing it tightly. His leg was next, which was harder to do. It hurt even more than the arm. When Rapsheeba went to stop the bleeding, as soon as the cloth touched him, he started to whimper from pain. Rapsheeba apologized as she continued to press the cloth against him. Once the bleeding stopped, she cleaned it and then wrapped bandages around it, replacing the cloth she had used earlier.

The worst one to clean was his side. Rapsheeba had to use disinfectant for it due to the infection, and that hurt like heck with the burn marks and exposed flesh. Snap cried out in pain and started to struggle. Blocky had to hold him still to keep him from hurting himself more. Rapsheeba felt so bad doing this and she constantly apologized. She looked at him sadly as tears of pain streamed down his face. Snap looked up at her with clenched teeth, giving a gesture with his head for her to hurry up and finish.

After cleaning out the wound, applying disinfectant and some ointment for the burns, Rapsheeba placed a thick gauze against his side and held it there with surgical tape. She then wrapped bandages around his side, holding the gauze tightly in place, hoping that the pressure would help stop the bleeding. Once she was done, she picked up the kit. She knew that they may need that in the future.

Snap also knew it wasn’t going to last. She already used up more than half the supplies just on him. Bardot wasn’t that generous. If they weren’t careful, they would use it all up by the end of this game or the next game. Because of how little they had to work with, Rapsheeba and Blocky refused to treat their wounds. Their injuries were more mild compared to Snap’s. They decided it was best to save it for emergencies only, and Snap’s bleeding injuries were definitely a high priority. Though he felt guilty for having most of the medical supplies used on him, he did still thank Rapsheeba for her help.

Even though the wounds were treated, Snap was still in a lot of pain. So as they entered the maze, the blue boy still had to use the stick to support himself effectively. He still wouldn’t be able to run very fast, but he could still move a little faster with the stick than he could on his own.

Snap took a look around the maze. His eyes widened a little. He realized that this wasn’t the same maze Rudy went through. He may not have had been in the best position to see all of it, but he still had a bird’s eye view, being held up in the air by that tentacle and all. And he could tell, as soon as he, Rapsheeba, and Blocky stepped into the maze, that this was not the same one Rudy had used. Which means that he wouldn’t be able to use his memory of the old maze to navigate this one. Bardot really thought ahead on this.

The trio walked a little further into the maze. They looked all around, cautious of where they walked. Being in a maze in a graveyard caused the wind to feel much more chilling to them than usual. The appearance of the maze didn’t help either. Randomnly placed tombstones. A few bones laying here and there. Twisted thorny bushes forming the paths. The ground being grayish in color, looking almost sickly. Cobwebs everywhere. To top it all off, a few large spiders that hung down from the pushes, staring at them as if they were giant insects.

They tried to decide which way to go first. There were multiple paths they could take. They decided to try left first. They went down a winding path. It cut off sharply to the right, and, after what seemed like half an hour, they ended up back where they started. Confused, they tried the right path this time. This one seemed to take them along the edge of the maze. But like the first one, the paths they were taking seemed to lead them in circles.

But if there was one positive thing about going around in circles, it was that they began to get familiar with the area and remembered which way they took. Using this knowledge, they managed to narrow down their choices to the center one, then taking off to the right. This was the only path they didn’t try yet, and, sure enough, it led them to a new area of the maze. They felt accomplished finally reaching somewhere new in this maze of doom.

Snap realized something. They hadn’t yet run into any zombies. He looked all around them. Yet..no zombies... Where were they? They had to be here somewhere. It wasn’t simply because of what Bardot’s note read. Snap had been here before. He knew there were zombies lurking in this maze somewhere. But where?

“I don’t get it.” Rapsheeba apparently read his mind. “Where are Jacko’s zombies? This place was filled with them before!”

Blocky trembled. “I’m personally glad they aren’t here.”

“That’s what scares me.” Snap said. He stopped walking, and so did his friends. They looked at him. He steadied himself with his walking stick. He had his gaze faced away from them, looking at the multiple paths strewn before them. “Even if Jacko’s not here, his zombies should still be in this maze. This is their...home pretty much. So...” He looked at his friends, his eyes wide with fear. “...where are they?”

Rapsheeba and Blocky looked at each other. They turned back to Snap and shook their heads, indicating they didn’t know. Snap expected that answer. He let out a soft sigh.

“Neither do I.” Snap started to move to the left. “So let’s...

Click.

Snap’s eyes widened at this. He looked down. He saw that the tip of his walking stick had touched some portion of the ground, which sunk in. A hidden button? What was that for? Then, seconds later, he felt a low rumbling. It wasn’t intense, like with the sinkhole and the fire and lava. But he could feel something...moving underneath.

Then he and his friends heard what sounded like multiple gates opening. The low growl of zombies filled the air. Menacing, cold, vicious. And they were growing louder. The trio pressed close to each other, looking around for the source. It sounded like it was coming from all directions.

But it wasn’t over. There was a twisting sound in front of them. The tall bush, which looked kinda like an arch, was shifting around. Something was rotating underneath it, causing it to turn. And when it was turned all the way, Snap, Rapsheeba, and Blocky backed away in horror. What they saw caused their stomachs to churn. They felt like throwing up, a mixture of nausea and fear and dread.

“Well...now we know what happened to Jacko...” Rapsheeba whispered in utter disbelief.

Jacko was hanging against the tall, arch-shaped bush. His hands and feed were nailed in place, stretching his arms and legs to his sides. His head was lolled to one side, his eyes partially open. But there was no glow in them. His mouth hung open and, just like with his eyes, no glow. It was like his fire had been put out...and that may have been what happened to him.

He looked absolutely horrible. His body had suffered a lot of injuries. They could see multiple fractures in his limbs. His left arm was broken in three places. His right arm had been torn from its socket and broken at the elbow. His right leg was broken in ten places, almost looking unrecognizable. His left foot was even worse. Twisted until it faced the other way and looking crushed.

Jacko’s face was beaten and smashed up. There were so many bruises it was hard to see a speck of orange on him. Blood stained the corner of his mouth. And judging from the amoung of redness along his mouth, they guessed he had lost a lot of blood through his mouth. They shuddered to think what could have caused that. The multiple gashes in his head didn’t help. And the top of his head was ripped open...

There was a sign hung around his neck. It read:

“If you do not want to end up like me, run as fast as you can. The zombies are coming.”

Snap’s breathing and heart rate quickened. His body shook. He took a few steps back, nearly absent-minded with his stick. It took him a few seconds to digest what had happened. His friends were just as shocked as he was. None of them had expected something like this to happen.

Jacko...was dead. Jack-O-In-The-Box had been murdered. No doubt by Bardot. And he had been set up like some scarecrow just to send them a message.

Snap gritted his teeth and clutched his free hand in a fist. He may not have liked Jacko. The guy was a jerk. But he didn’t deserve something like this. He didn’t deserve to be tortured and beaten to death. He didn’t deserve to be used like some toy in Bardot’s sick little game. Bardot..that name burned in his mind. He would make him pay. Jacko had nothing to do with his twisted ‘games’. He had nothing to do with Mr. Cosmo or Draow. He was an innocent bystander...and Bardot ruthlessly murdered him... He would not get away with this.

He didn’t have long to stay angry. He started hearing heavy footsteps. They had gotten louder. The screams of the zombies...they were definitely getting close. No words were spoken from them. No ‘brains’ or ‘food’. Just growls, grunts, and snorts. They sounded hungry. And he knew what was going to be on the menu.

Just then, a bulky zombie crashed through the hedge behind them. The trio turned around and screamed as the green-skinned zombie tried to slash at them with its long nails. They barely dodged in time. Snap almost tripped as he tried to run away from the zombie. The bulky zombie roared in frustration and started coming after them, holding its hands out in front of it.

Snap, Rapsheeba, and Blocky slowly backed away. Another rustle, and another zombie came jumping out. This one was skinnier and faster. It leaped onto Snap knocking him into the ground. Snap cried out as the zombie’s nails cut into his shoulders, causing him to bleed a little. It opened its jaws wide, preparing to bite him.

“Oh no you don’t!” Rapsheeba rushed over and delivered a punch against the zombie, knocking it away from Snap. She helped Snap to his feet. “Are you okay?”

Snap rubbed his head. “Yeah..thanks..” He turned to give her a smile. But then his eyes widened in horror. “Oi calloy! Look out!”

Rapsheeba looked around. A pissed off zombie was about to strike at them. Before the two could react, Blocky dove in. He pushed the zombie out of the way. He waved his hand to them, gesturing them to get a move on. The trio had no time to think of what path to take. More zombies were coming and they had to get out of there and fast.

As the trio rushed down the hedge paths, they had to constantly be alert. Multiple times, zombie hands stuck out of the bushes, scratching at them, trying to grab them. A few zombies rose out of the ground. As they ran over them, stepping on their heads to daze them, the zombies rose out of the ground completely and began to follow the three panicked zoners.

One medium-sized zombie tried to go for Blocky. Snap rushed over as fast as the stick could carry him. Using his free hand, he delivered a punch against the zombie’s jaws. There was a sickening crunch and the zombie fell down. Blocky quickly thanked Snap before continuing the run. And as they kept running, it seemed like more and more zombies were rising up. Just how many zombies did this place have?

And just when they thought things couldn’t get any worse...it did.

As they turned a corner to the left, they found themselves in a dead end. A stoney wall. They slowed down, almost tripping over. They stared at the wall. They looked all around them, trying to find a way out. They saw nothing. Their hearts pounding, bodies filling up with dread, they slowly turned around.

A large horde of zombies was coming right for them. They were walking very slowly, almost like they were deliberately messing with them. They were closing in the gap. The trio looked all around them, trying in vain to find an escape route. There was none.

“What are we going to do?” Blocky asked, whimpering in fear.

“I don’t know. There’s no way out of here.” Rapsheeba said. She turned to Snap. “What about you? Do you have any ideas?”

As much as Snap would have loved to say yes, as much as he wanted to know that there was a way out of here, unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. He looked up at Rapsheeba sadly, shaking his head. “I’m sorry, queenie...I really don’t know what we’re going to do.”

“Well whatever it is..” Rapsheeba’s wide eyes looked at the oncoming zombies. There was too many to fight. “It must be done quickly...”

Snap nodded in agreement. “Or we’re all dead...”

sss

“You...you did what...?” Rudy’s voice was laced in horror.

“You’re a monster...” Penny whispered, equally terrified by what she had been told.

Bardot just smiled at them. “Hey, I let him go, didn’t I?”

Bardot was sick. Absolutely sick. Rudy was convinced of this more and more the longer he spent time with him. The levels he would go to get what he wanted..it was despicable. Everything he did was monsterous, horrific, disgusting. This...this was just as disturbing as anything else he has heard of or seen this zoner do. And Rudy almost regretted even asking.

After Bardot mentioned about Snap being in the zombie maze where Jacko had Rudy trapped with a broken arm, Rudy had finally had enough. He and Penny wanted to know how he knew all these things from years ago, when he wasn’t even ‘born’ yet. There had to be a reason why he knew all of this. There was no way Cosmo knew any of it. And it was unlikely Bardot went around asking random zoners to tell them. If he had done that, then he would have been recognized by Skrawl’s crew and he would have been dealt with sooner.

Rudy didn’t know if Bardot would tell them or not. But it wouldn’t hurt to ask. So he did. And much to his surprise, Bardot agreed to tell them how he knew. Finding out the reason filled both of them with horror.

Bardot had sought out Barney in his own home. He had found a way in and trapped Barney inside, blocking any attempt for him to escape. And he had forced Barney to relinquish the information. Bardot didn’t say exactly what he did other than he had inflicted some pain on Barney to force him to talk, and eventually the centipede zoner gave in.

The fact that Bardot had tortured Barney, an innocent zoner who had nothing to do with his plans, a zoner that only wanted to be left in peace, infuriated Rudy and Penny. If they weren’t so badly injured themselves, they would attack Bardot and make him pay for what he did. Barney didn’t deserve any of that. And yet here stood Bardot, acting all proud about what he had done, acting like it was no big deal. He had tortured an innocent zoner and he didn’t think it was anything major. He was..disgusting...

“Oh you should have heard him crying, pleading for mercy. Especially when I threatened to kill his turtle friend, King Mumbo Jumbo, right in front of him.” Bardot sneered, baring his teeth in an evil grin. “If he had just reliquished the information as soon as I had asked for it...if he had told me, showed me, everything he knew about you two and your blue friend, plus anything else I would find useful..then I wouldn’t have harmed him. But he was...reluctant..so I had no choice but to make him more cooperative.”

“You’re sick!” Rudy spat, holding his left hand in a fist as tight as he could. “You’re just a coward who uses intimidation to get what he wants!”

Bardot shrugged his shoulders. “If it gets results, I will use it. It certainly worked for me. Barney was more willing to talk after I started slowly breaking his legs one by one.”

Penny gasped, her eyes wide. “You did what?!”

Laughing, Bardot added, “But that wasn’t good enough, so you want to know what I did? This is what made him more willing to talk, along with the threat of his best friend being murdered before his eyes.” Bardot moved closer to the two teenagers. He put his face close to them, staring first into Penny’s eyes, and then locking onto Rudy’s. “I ripped out his eyes...” A gasp from the two teens made him smile broader. In a low whisper, he continued, “It was so easy with my claws, too...” He flexed his claws in front of their faces to emphasize his point.

Bardot had blinded Barney? He...took away his sight... The realization filled Rudy with rage. He gritted his teeth, snarling at the yellow beast.

Bardot moved his head back, a pleasant smile on his face. “After that, he was more cooperative. Having your eyesight taken away does cause a lot of emotional damage. And after he gave me what I wanted, I let him go. I made sure to leave him out somewhere so someone could find him and help him. But I didn’t leave without warning him I would kill King Mumbo Jumbo if he dared blab to anyone about what my plans.”

That was it. Rudy couldn’t take it anymore. He felt his anger reach a boiling point. He felt his body shaking in rage. Penny looked up at him, her eyes just as intense as his. What Bardot told them had angered them both. He blinded an innocent zoner...He had permanently maimed someone who didn’t do a damn thing to him...

While Bardot was smiling at him, Rudy pulled his foot back. Mustering as much as strength as he could, he kicked at Bardot. His foot slammed against the zoner’s stomach, knocking the wind out of him. Giving a yelp of pain, Bardot skidded across the ground and landed on his stomach. Draow, who was watching from a distance, widened his eyes in surprise at this unexpected attack.

Bardot lifted the front part of his body up with his left paw. His right one pressed against his stomach. For the first time, the two teenagers saw a pained look on his face. His eyes were closed tightly, his teeth clenched in obvious distress. As he opened his eyes to look at Rudy and Penny, he coughed up a little bit of blood. The expression on his face as his eyes fully opened was one of shock. He looked genuinely surprised by the attack, clearly not expecting it.

For a brief second, his pupils dilated and his lips curled upward. He looked, for a moment, like a wild beast, drool dripping from his jaws. Rudy and Penny cringed back in fear and braced for an attack. But instead, Bardot shook his head, regaining his original composure. He gave the teens a small smile before getting up and walking away from them.

When Bardot came up to Draow, he gave the teens a sideways glance before giving Draow an instruction. “In one hour...” He gave Penny an evil smile. “..break the girl’s leg...”

Penny’s eyes widened in fear and she hugged Rudy tighter. Rudy put his left arm over her protectively, glaring hatefully at Draow and Bardot. He was going to do whatever he could to protect Penny. Even with a broken hand and one weaker hand, there was no way he was going to let them hurt you.

“I won’t let you...” Rudy hissed under his breath.

Bardot’s ears swiveled, catching what the boy said. He turned his head, his intense green eyes boring into Rudy’s soul. “You shouldn’t have kicked me... You must be punished...” Rudy growled at this. Bardot looked away. “Do not make me angry...you won’t like me when I’m angry...” He said in the most threatening, non-pleasant voice the zoner ever spoke in.

Rudy and Penny looked at each other, dread filling their hearts. They hoped Snap would make it on time.


	26. You Are Down By One, Snap

Skrawl sat down in his office, located on the highest level of his high security prison. He pulled his chair up to his dark-colored desk. Covering it were a few thick folders, filled with information that had been gathered regarding this mystery zoner that had broken Draow out of prison. Along with that, there were also photographs of the crime scene, as well as other things, such as blurs of yellow and red that had been spotted recently.

Skrawl still could not identify the zoner. It didn’t look familiar to him. None of his wardens could come up with any answers either. More investigating was required, but things were getting really hectic lately. Investigating anything was becoming really hard. More and more zoners are taking notice to the strange occurrences lately, and were trying to figure things out for themselves. This complicated the investigations; his Beanie Boys often came back with little to no information because the panicked zoners would shove them aside so they could look for...well whatever was there.

Skrawl looked at the images strewn down before him. He picked up one. It was the clearest shot of the zoner. Red and yellow blurs, and a slight shape. It looked four-legged and he thought he spotted a tail. But that was all he could see. This zoner moved too quickly for cameras to catch him. He didn’t know if it was because the zoner knew where the cameras were somehow and could zip by them, or if the zoner was always running really fast anyway and the camers were just lucky enough to get a shot of him.

But there was something else he was noticing about this zoner. He could see a bit of his outline. It was heavily blurred and distorted, but he could still make something out. And he noticed something off about it. Reddish markings it looked like. They adorned the outline, striping in random places. He had never seen this in a zoner before. Something was really off about this.

He couldn’t think of why the outline would be striped. He narrowed his eyes and rested his head against his three digit hand. He thought for a while, trying to make some kind of connection. There had to be a good reason why it was striped like that. None of the other zoners he’s seen had something like this. And even if there were, the striping would be based on the coloration of the zoner. This one, however, was random and erratic. There was no rhyme or reason for it.

Then something came to his mind. He thought about magic chalk. He was aware of the normal white type, the evil red type, and the corrupting black type. He also knew there were other types, such as orange, blue, green, and purple, but he had no idea what their powers were. What he did know is that those drawn with red chalk were always red in color, with a red outline. Black and white produced zoners of different colorations, not just red. But with red chalk, always red...

He looked back at the blurred picture, staring at the striped outline. He didn’t think it was possible... He had never heard of such a thing before. But was it possible that this zoner was half white chalk, half red chalk? If that was so, maybe that would explain the striped outline. If it were a hybrid of white and black, there would be no striped outline. But because red chalk always produces red drawings, if it were paired up with white chalk, the outline would become striped like a candycane.

This revelation startled Skrawl. He was well aware of how vicious red chalk was. That was why, when he used to scheme, he never touched the stuff. He knew it always backfired on creators who dared to try to use it. He had never considered exploiting red chalk for his own personal use. And he couldn’t fathom why someone would try to merge white and red chalk together.

Although he had never met any hybrid zoner, he already had his own ideas on what a hybrid zoner of white and red would be like. Traits of both mixed in together like that. A zoner who could think, decide for themselves, combined with the ruthlessness of red chalk, the willingness to attack completely unprovoked without sympathy or hesitation. Such a zoner would be very dangerous. He doubted even Draow would be able to face a hybrid zoner.

He was certain that it was a hybrid zoner that freed Draow. It would explain why the zoner was so disproportionately vicious, why they were so intent on Draow, the most aggressive zoner locked up in that jail. But what it doesn’t explain is why it so hard to find. It shouldn’t be hard to spot a zoner that had a striped outline. They would stick out like a sour thumb. So this zoner...it must have a way of getting around without being seen. Maybe it knew when zoners would be out and about. And if that were the case, all Skrawl had to do was be somewhere the zoner did not expect him to be, and he could get it that way.

But wait...that might not work. How does this zoner know where everyone was going to be, and when to go to certain places? The more he thought about it, the more he realized there had to be cameras. They must be positioned in random places in ChalkZone. If that was how this zoner was figuring out when it can make moves without anyone knowing, Skrawl knew he was going to have to be very careful in how he handles the rest of this investigation.

Skrawl turned his attention to the strange occurrences going on. He had gotten reports from his Beanie Boys about a sinkhole destroying a playground, strange movement involving male chocolate rabbits, and, the strangest of all, the golf course erupting in fire and lava. All of them were really odd, out of place. The places were clearly tampered with. But why? What was the purpose? The only thing he could think of was that they must be death traps. But...just who were they for?

He didn’t have to think about that long. One of his Beanie Boys reported that he spotted Snap somewhere in the Candycane Forest. So Snap was involved with this. Skrawl didn’t think for a moment Snap was causing all of this, or whoever was with him. No, he was certain this hybrid zoner was behind it all. And Draow. He would have tried to contact Snap, but Skrawl wasn’t stupid. If this zoner was watching many places in ChalkZone, then he would see him try to contact Snap and try to do something about it.

No, he had to be smart about this.

He was also certain that this hybrid zoner thought ahead and had at least one spy. Someone to scout ChalkZone, acting all innocent, ready to carry out orders when it was given to them. And Skrawl already had an idea on who it was. One of his own men...

Skrawl has his suspicions that one of his own wardens under his command wasn’t who he seemed to be. His story involving how Draow escaped was the most confusing one, and didn’t add up with the others. Skrawl didn’t bother calling the warden out or say anything, though. If his suspicions proved to be right, then he had to act like he didn’t know anything. That way, if the warden truly was a spy, he wouldn’t be able to tell the hybrid zoner that he, Skrawl, knew anything. For now, Skrawl had to act oblivious.

There was something else that was cause for alarm. He hadn’t seen Rudy or Penny for a while now. It was day two. He would have thought that they would be back here by now to tell him anything else they found out. It wasn’t like Master Tabootie to sherk his responsibilities like that. The genius girl wouldn’t be like that either. It didn’t take long for Skrawl to know something was wrong with them.

He was able to put two and two together. The hybrid zoner that seemed to appear out of nowhere. The death traps that were set up, where Snap was forced to fight for his life. The disappearance of Rudy and Penny. They were all connected. He conclude that Rudy and Penny must have been captured. He had little proof. It wasn’t like he could go find them and confirm it. But that was the only thing that made sense to him. That was the only reason why Rudy and Penny would vanish without a trace, without leaving behind anything, not even a message. And it would explain why Snap was running through these deathtraps. Whoever made the death traps...

...must have Rudy and Penny captured and held hostage somewhere. And he guessed it was in ChalkZone. His eyes widened in horror at the realization. They couldn’t eat or drink chalk stuff. The two of them would die slowly and painfully if that were the case. Something had to be done...and fast.

The door suddenly flung open. Skrawl raised his head. He saw one of his Beanie Boys flying in, an uncharacteristically shocked expression on his face. Skrawl immediately straightened up in his seat, staring at the Beanie Boy expectantly.

“What is it?” Skrawl asked cautiously, worried about what the Beanie Boy was about to say.

The Beanie Boy stopped, hovering in the air. He panted heavily. He must have come a long way. Skrawl could see the sweat pouring down his face. He looked incredibly thirsty. Just how far had he gone? Where had he been? And what did he see that shocked him so much?

“Sir..I was...I was able to...” The Beanie Boy panted even more, swallowing in a futile attempt to hydrate himself. Skrawl handed the Beanie Boy a glass of water. He drank it up immediately and wiped his mouth. “Thanks, sir.” Now his voice sounded less raspy and more clear.

“Now what are you going on about?” Skrawl said, his eyes slightly narrowed. He made a gesture with his arm for the Beanie Boy to continue. “Out with it!”

The Beanie Boy said, “Skrawl, I was searching around the jungle, trying to find evidence of more traps like you told me to.”

“Did you find any?” Skrawl asked.

The Beanie Boy shook his head. “I didn’t look too far. I...found something else.”

“Something that made you fly all the way back here to report it?” Skrawl asked. The flying zoner nodded his head once to confirm. Whatever he had found, it must have been very important to cause him to abandon his duty and come back to report to him. “What did you find?”

“An injured zoner!” The Beanie Boy cried, his eyes wide.

Skrawl’s eyes widened slightly. “An injured zoner? What happened to him or her..?”

“Him. I found him in the jungle. It looked like he sustained multiple injuries. Some of them looked to be treated, but there were others that weren’t.” The Beanie Boy explained, his voice saddened by the report. He paused for a moment, and then said in a remorseful tone. “Skrawl...this zoner has clearly been the victim of multiple attacks. Whoever was hurting him, they did it again and again. This zoner has been horrifically abused. I’m...surprised he is still alive...”

“Abused..?” Skrawl said. His mind flashed back to the horrible treatment Snap got from Mr. Cosmo. “Who is the zoner? Were you able to confirm his identity?”

“Yes, sir.” The flying zoner nodded his head slowly. “It is Barney, that centipede zoner that has the entire history of ChalkZone inside of him.”

At this, Skrawl’s eyes widened in shock. He responded in a low voice. “Barney...?”

sss

Snap, Rapsheeba, and Blocky pressed their backs against the stone wall. There was nowhere for them to go. Nowhere to run. The horde was getting closer each second that passed. Snap looked around, his heart racing. If they didn’t figure out a way out of here, they were going to be goners.

Some of the zombies had tried to attack them. They fought back. They worked together to get the horde to move back a little. But no matter how many punches, kicks, and throws they dished out, it was never good enough. There were too many zombies, and they found themselves the ones being pushed back. They were using up so much strength fighting off the zombies. Their muscles ached from the fatigue. Hunger started to settle in, becoming more prominent now that they were using up so much energy just trying to survive.

They had to do something to finish this game, and quickly. Snap thought back to the note. This game may require a sacrifice...His eyes widened at this. Could it be talking about one of his friends getting left behind? No..no he wouldn’t allow that to happen. There had to be a way out of here that wouldn’t involve him having to leave behind one of his friends. He couldn’t let them get ripped apart. No, he wouldn’t allow it.

He looked behind him and glared at the stone wall. If only this wasn’t here. If only there was a path here. They could make a run for it. But no, someone had to put this stupid wall here, trapping him and his two friends while flesh-eating zombies were cornering them. They were running out of time. And so were Rudy and Penny.

A zombie lunged for Rapsheeba. He ran over and lifted up his walking stick. He swung it at the zombie, knocking it into the ground. Another one grabbed at Snap, pulling him away. Rapsheeba returned the favor with a kick to the zombie’s chest, throwing them back into the horde approaching them. Blocky fought off another zombie, pushing them back. And yet still, more came, and the three were getting exhausted. They wouldn’t be able to keep this up forever.

“It’s no use. They keep coming...” Blocky said, his body trembling. He already sustained a pretty bad bite mark on his arm. And he knew that wasn’t going to be the last one. “We need a way out of here.”

“But the only way out is through the zombies.” Rapsheeba said, staring in horror as the zombies got closer. More and more of them just kept showing up, and quickly the passageway they were in was getting smaller and smaller, feeling more like a prison. “How are we going to get past them? There’s too many! They’ll rip us apart if we get close!”

Snap looked around frantically. No cheating was allowed. They could go through the hedges. And even if they were allowed, the hedges were thorny here. Going through them would tear into them. And they were thick. They wouldn’t be able to make it to the other side without wasting considerable time.

“Well...we have to think of something, and fast.” Snap said, clenching his teeth in fear.

Once again, he looked behind him. The stone wall seemed to be mocking them. He could picture Bardot’s face on it, laughing at their pitiful progress. He could practically hear Bardot’s voice now, taunting them on how they would never make it out alive. He could hear him flaunting on how much pain and misery he put Rudy and Penny through. The wall..it was laughing at them...

Snap walked up to the wall and scowled at it. He pulled his right foot back and kicked the wall. He winced a little at the pain, but the scowl remained on his face. He stared back at his friends. They were looking at him, shocked.

“Rudy and Penny are in trouble. They need our help.” Snap said through clenched teeth. His body shook in anger. “But how can we save them if we can’t even save ourselves? And it’s all because of this stupid wall!”

“Snap...we’ll find a way out.” Rapsheeba said. She went over and put her hands on his shoulders. “We’ll think of something.”

“Stupid wall...?” Blocky whispered. He stared at the wall.

“Blocky...?”

Snap and Rapsheeba watched in confusion as Blocky went over to the wall. He stared at it intently. He put his hand on it, feeling it up and down. He formed a fist and pounded on it a little. He stood there for a few minutes, pondering something. His two friends looked at each other in confusion. What was Blocky up to?

Slowly, Blocky looked back at them. He had an expression like he knew something that they didn’t. He rushed back over towards them, his eyes wide with realization.

“This is a secret exit!” Blocky cried.

“What?” Snap asked. “A secret exit?”

Blocky nodded his head. “Yeah! The stone wall opens! Well it should..it seems to be locked in place.” He looked back at the wall. “From what I read, Jacko usually has a second exit to the maze. It’s all part of a game he used to hold. Prizes were given to anyone who could find the randomnly placed secret exit."

Snap and Rapsheeba were surprised Blocky knew this. They didn’t think he was a fan of Jacko. Or maybe he just heard from a fan or something. They stared at the wall. If this was a secret exit, then why wasn’t it opening? It’s almost as if Bardot purposely blocked it off. Of course Bardot wouldn’t make things easy for them.

So they were still back to square one. The horde was getting closer. They were getting tired of fighting back at them. It was only a matter of time before the zombies tore into their flesh. This secret exit was going to do them no good. They had to think of something else.

“Blocky, that was interesting information and all but...” Snap stared at the wall and shook his head. “It’s not going to help us.”

“Oh yes it will.” Blocky said.

“What do you mean?” Snap asked, confused.

Blocky stared at Rapsheeba and Snap. His eyes were narrowed yet wide at the same time. They were filled with determination, intent. He looked back over at the wall. His hands formed into fists, shaking from emotion. He then looked back at his friends. And he gave the most knowing smile he could ever give. It took seconds for his two friends to realize just what he was suggesting.

“What...?” Snap cried in horror. He shook his head. “Blocky..no...you can’t!”

“There’s got to be another way!” Rapsheeba cried.

Blocky shook his head slowly. “No. There isn’t.” He glanced at the wall. “This is the only way.” He stared at his two friends. Tears formed in his eyes. “I’ll...miss you guys.”

That hit Snap like a ton of bricks. His body shook. He couldn’t let it happen. No, the sacrifice wouldn’t take place. He rushed over to Blocky and grabbed him. He shook him, hoping to knock sense into him.

“No! You’re not going to do it, Blocky! I won’t let you!” Snap cried.

Blocky stared at his blue friend. He said, “I’m sorry Snap...”

With that, Blocky grabbed Snap in his arms. He rushed over to the wall. Before Snap could protest, he was flung over with as much force as Blocky could muster. Snap landed just outside of the hedge maze. He rolled across the ground, his walking stick still gripped tightly in his hand. He skidded to a stop and coughed, mud and dirt covering his costume. He shook his head and looked back towards the maze, his eyes wide in horror.

Seconds later, he saw Rapsheeba being thrown over the edge. She landed a foot in front of him. She hit against her back into the ground. She grunted in pain as a rock scraped against her back. She sat up, hissing in pain and rubbing where she was hit. She then looked over at the maze in in fear. She looked at Snap, thinking the same thing he was.

The two rushed over to the maze. They pounded against the wall, attempted to climb up, anything to get back to Blocky. But it was no use. The only way back in was through the entrance, and that might be against the rules. And even if it weren’t, they quickly realized they would not have been able to make it in time.

Blocky’s pain-filled cries echoed through the air, filling their hearts with dread. For the next few minutes, all they heard was Blocky’s blood-curdling screams, his pleas for mercy. They heard him get ripped apart, claws tearing into flesh. And then, nothing. There was silence. No wait..not silence. Blocky was whimpering in misery and pain now. There was still time. If they could just get over the wall...

Just then, there was a shadow casted over them. Something flew in real low, causing air to rush past Snap and Rapsheeba, almost knocking them to their feet. Dead lives were kicked up into the air, swirling around like they were just dancing. The two zoners coughed and looked up to see who it was.

Snap’s eyes widened. “Draow...? What’s he doing here?”

Draow flew into the maze. He landed on the ground. Snap and Rapsheeba could feel the thud as he hit the dirty floor.

“Off him!” Came Draow’s dark voice.

For a few seconds, Snap and Rapsheeba could hear the gnashing of jaws, crunching of bone, and the throwing of bodies. This only lasted a brief time before Draow suddenly surfaced again, flapping his wings, steadily rising. And in his talons, he held a badly injured Blocky.

Rapsheeba rushed forward. “Blocky!”

Draow took a moment to sneer at the two remaining zoners before taking off. The two zoners wanted to rush after him, but Draow was moving too fast. They watched as they carried their friend away. And soon, they were completely out of sight.

The full weight of what happened hit them heavily. The impact crashed down on them like a broken house. They continued to stare at where Blocky had been taken. No, it couldn’t be, no... They had lost Blocky... He was still alive, but...for how long? What did Draow plan on doing with him? What did Bardot want to do to him?

Their bodies shook. Tears filled their eyes. They turned to each other. They were the remainders. They were what was left. They hugged each other and cried. They couldn’t believe they had just lost one of their own. And they had no idea what was going to happen to him. They don’t know what was to become of their fallen comrade. Would he be alive for much longer? What was in store for him?

They had little time to grieve. The radio beeped, signalling Bardot contacting them. Snap gritted his teeth hatefully. Of all the zoners to talk to right now, he was the last one he wanted to hear right now.

“What do you want?” Snap asked, mustering as much hostility in his voice as he could.

“It looks like you are down by one, Snap.” Bardot chortled in an amused tone. “It’s a shame your dear friend Blocky had to take the fall. That was...pretty brave of him though. To give himself up so you two could continue. He must be really brave...or really foolish.” Snap and Rapsheeba snarled at this. “But now that you have lost a party member, Snap, it is down to just you and Rapsheeba. You must be careful with the remainder of the games. You never know when you will lose Rapsheeba and you will be all alone.”

Snap growled. “You’re a monster...”

Bardot chuckled at this. “Perhaps you are right...”

Rapsheeba spoke up. “What are you going to do with Blocky?!”

“Temper, temper...” Bardot scolded her almost like he was her father. She hissed at this. Bardot said, “He is fine...for now. Draow was just retrieving him for me. He will be locked in one of my chambers until the games are over. After that, his fate will be decided by you, Snap. Defeat me, and he’ll go free. Lose, and he’ll be killed off.”

“That’s sick and twisted...” Rapsheeba growled, her eyes narrowed hatefully.

“What kind of monster gets kicks out of messing with, endangering, and taking lives for no reason?” Snap snarled at the radio. He was so tempted to smash it, but that wouldn’t be a smart move.

Bardot chuckled darkly. He didn’t bother answering Snap’s question. Instead, he apparently decided to taunt Snap some more. “I hope you plan on picking up the pace..because time is running out for your little friends.”

Snap’s eyes widened a little as he said that. “Rudy...Penny...”

“You better hurry up, Snap. I hope you are truly confident you can save them from me. Because they are going to need all the help they can get soon enough. Even if you beat me, they will still be in trouble. By the time I am done with them, they will be barely alive...”

As he said that, there was a striking sound. Screams from Rudy and Penny could be hard. Snap and Rapsheeba took a startled step back, their eyes wide in horror. Another strike, another couple of screams filled their hearts with dread and fear. Rudy and Penny sounded like they were in a lot of pain. Then whimpers...just what had Bardot done to them?

Then Bardot apparently struck them again. Louder, sharper screams...Snap and Rapsheeba were horrified by this.

“Leave them alone!” Snap cried, tears filling his eyes. “Please..leave them alone!”

“Stop it!” Rapsheeba joined in, just as emotional about this as Snap. “They’re just kids!”

Surprisingly, Bardot did stop. They heard their friends’ ragged breathing. They sounded almost relieved, thankful that Bardot was leaving them alone.

“That is just a taste of what they’ve been through here... and what they will endure soon.” Bardot said in a threatening tone. “And if you don’t speed things up, Snappy boy...their blood will be on your hands.” After that, the radio cut off.

Snap stared at Rapsheeba in horror, the full weight of what happened crashing in all around him. He had lost one of his friends, taken away by Draow, and now Rudy and Penny had been tortured right in front of him, in a sense. Bardot’s threat was terrifying. There...there wasn’t much time to spare.

Urgency filling his heart, he turned to Rapsheeba. “We’ve got to hurry!”

Rapsheeba nodded in agreement. “We’ll get to them. Don’t worry, Snap.”

Snap gave a small smile. “I know...”

With that, the two went over to locate the note so they could locate the next game.


	27. Dangerous Ice

“You may not remember well this place  
But you must keep up the pace  
So cold will you be, but never fear  
You only have to do this once a year”

That riddle was a little harder for Snap and Rapsheeba to figure out. Now it was just down to them to figure these out. They no longer had Blocky’s help. Seeing him being taken away by Draow still stung their hearts. While they were happy that Bardot and Draow weren’t going to let him die, having him imprisoned wasn’t much better. They hoped that Bardot wouldn’t start subjecting him to torture like he was to Rudy and Penny. Then again, it was Bardot and they wouldn’t put it past him.

All the riddles so far involved Snap in some way. So Snap tried to think of some place cold that he only goes to once a year. The first thought was the polar bear bowling, but he scratched that thought, as it was held many times a year. Sure there were special tournaments that were held just once a year, but he doubted that is what the riddle was talking to him about.

So he tried to think of another. Something else that he wasn’t thinking of. Some place cold...once a year... It was on the tip of his tongue. He knew he had to know this. It was so obvious, wasn’t it? It was practically screaming at him, and yet he couldn’t think of the word.

Then it hit him. It was so obvious. It must have been talking about the Secret Society Of Elves. Or rather, their usual location. They are usually located in the north pole during most of the year. Once a year, they relocate their base in a different part of ChalkZone for the holidays. So the fifth game must take place in the north pole somewhere. If he and Rapsheeba went there, they were certain to find the note.

Snap wasn’t sure, at first, what the riddle meant by ‘not remembering the place well’. But then he realized he hadn’t been to the north pole that much. Oh he’s been to the Secret Society Of Elves, but only during the holidays. The north pole he been to...maybe three times in the past seven, eight years. So the riddle was right that he wouldn’t remember it too well.

He told Rapsheeba, and she agreed that going there was their best bet. Their biggest worry was the travel, though. It wasn’t exactly around the corner, and they couldn’t ask anyone for help. They would need to walk there, but it would take several hours to get there unless they found another mode of transportation. Food and water was also going to be an issue. They were both hungry and thirsty from their recent endeavors, and no doubt they would need more energy if they were going to travel to the north pole.

They didn’t waste any time getting started. They began to walk in the direction they knew the north pole was in. At least it wasn’t hard to figure out. All they had to do was go north. It was the journey that was going to be a problem. If they could just find something on the way there they could use without asking anyone for help, then they might have a chance in getting to the north pole in a quicker amount of time.

But for the first half hour, all they could do was walk. They didn’t see anything that would be helpful. Oh they did run into a zoner or two who were willing to help and asked them what was wrong. But they had to decline their help. Some of the zoners looked a little miffed that they rejected their help. Snap and Rapsheeba were unable to apologize, though. They couldn’t say or do anything that made the other zoners suspicious of what was going on. And they didn’t doubt some of them already had an idea; surely someone started noticing these death traps and them going into them...

As they walked through ChalkZone, Snap’s mind went back to Blocky. His horrific screams still filled his head. He bit his lip, fighting back tears. He wished he had done something to save his friend. He wished he had moved faster, or done something to prevent Blocky from sacrificing himself like that. Even though he ended up living in the end, the reason why he survived wasn’t much cause for celebration. Draow was not going to be gentle with Blocky, he knew, and Bardot...even less so.

Now poor Blocky was locked up somewhere, alone and injured, and there was nothing Snap or Rapsheeba could do about it. They couldn’t run off in the direction Draow flew. Not only were they not sure if that was the right direction, but following would be breaking the rules. They were certain of that. Bardot would realize they were leaving the games and have Draow do something terrible to their captive friends. They had no choice but to continue the games without their fallen friend.

The only on left with Snap now was Rapsheeba. Losing Blocky made him realize how much he needed his friends on this journey. He knew Rapsheeba would help him in any way possible. And he was grateful for that. He wasn’t sure how well he’d survive these games alone, and Bardot’s warning of ‘when he may lose Rapsheeba’ was down right bone chilling. He made himself a promise that he would be extra careful in the upcoming games so she won’t get hurt like Blocky had.

He started to feel a little foolish. Up until now, he had been feeling guilty about his friends helping him through these dangerous games. He felt bad that they had to help him walk. He had believed that he was slowing them down. But after what happened to Blocky, he got a good slap in the face by reality.

There was no shame in his friends helping him. There was no reason for him to get upset. Them helping him out did not slow them down as much as him trying to do things on his own. His friends were here to help him. They were in this together. And yet he had been trying so hard not to let them help him too much because he had felt guilty of them having do that in the first place. He was the one Bardot wanted and he wound up dragging his friends into the mess. He had been beating himself up and he thought that trying to do things on his own would protect his friends.

It hadn’t. If anything, it made things worse. He realized that it was he who had been slowing them down, but not in the way he would have thought. It wasn’t his injuries that did it. It was his attitude. His whole ‘go on without me’, where he tried to keep up on his own. That was what did it. He only wished that he had realized it sooner.

Well no more. He still wanted to keep Rapsheeba safe, but he won’t hinder her like he had tried with her and Blocky before. He won’t feel guilty anymore of her helping him. He was going to need all the help he could get to reach his friends. And to reach them now, he was going to have to accept her help, rather than try to ‘protect her’ by doing things on his own. For if he kept doing that, if he kept trying to do all this on his own as much as possible...

...Rudy and Penny would be goners...

Soon Rapsheeba spotted something and grabbed Snap’s hand. “Hey look!” She said, pointing.

Snap quickly saw what she was referring to. Laying in the ground, covered in mud, was some kind of motorcycle. Snap rode something like this before. It didn’t look like it belonged to anyone. It was just..discarded. It might not be the best thing to use going to the north pole, but it was something at least.

The two of them rushed over to it. They looked around to make sure no one was watching them. Working together, they managed to pull the motorcycle out of the ground. They brushed it off the best they could. Rapsheeba got in the front since Snap had a bad leg.

Snap realized something. He looked at his walking stick, which he held in his left hand. “What am I going to do with this? I can’t hold on tightly enough with just one arm.”

“Here.” Rapsheeba extended her hand. Snap gave her the stick. She pressed it in a groove between her and him. It was a tight fit, but it soon stuck. With the walking stick taken care of, she turned around. “Okay, Snap. Hold onto me tightly!”

Snap did so. He wrapped his arms around her and held on as tightly as he could. He wasn’t sure how well Rapsheeba could ride a motorcycle. But now wasn’t the time to be wasting minutes questioning that. He heard Rapsheeba turn the motorcycle on and it started to move. It was a bit of a rocky ride, but it still ran at least. They headed towards the north pole, hoping that the motorcycle would cut some time and get them there faster.

At least using the motorcycle wasn’t against the rules. They hadn’t been contacted by Bardot. Snap theorized that, while they couldn’t ask for help themselves, they could still take items that may help them provided they find them on their own and take them without asking for permission. Rude, yes. Snap would normally want to get permission if he knew something belonged to someone. But this time, much worse would happen if he asked. He had no choice.

Snap was happy about one thing. With this motorcycle, they should reach the north pole within a much shorter time frame. He wasn’t sure exactly how long, but it was better than walking. Maybe if the motorcycle holds out, they could use it to get to the remainder of the games.

But then, knowing Bardot, this wasn’t going to last. Bardot would do something to prevent them from using the motorcycle for all of the remainder games. Snap was certain of that.

sss

Rudy and Penny were laying on the ground. No longer were they standing up or leaning against the wall. No, they were on the ground. Rudy was on his side. Penny on her stomach. They were groaning in pain. They were still in pain from what Bardot recently did to them.

When he was on the radio with Snap, the two of them were confused when Bardot started to approach them. He still spoke, but his gaze was fixated on them. There was that eerie smile, the smile that told them that something was on his mind. The smile that told them something was about to happen to them. And when Bardot reached them, seconds later, they had learned just what it was that he had in store for them.

He started to hit them with his claws...right on their old wounds. He hit Penny on her head wound, and Rudy, his side wound. He cut into the flesh, drawing out more blood. The pain was horrific, unbearable. They writhed on the ground in pain. They couldn’t even try to fight back. The pain was so horrible...it was hard for them to focus. The pain debilitated them for a while, making it hard to do anything, even breathe.

He was sadistic. Penny’s eyes narrowed. Not only did he deliberately strike their weak spots, but he did so just to frighten Snap. She knew that was the only reason he was doing that. Her head throbbed from where she had been struck. Her face had a few red streaks on it, from where the fresh blood had dripped along the skin. She glanced over at Rudy, her eyes softening.

He had it worse. His side wound was already bad enough to start with. Infected, deep, and it was already causing him a lot of pain. When he had resisted when she asked to see it earlier, she knew it was causing him a lot of distress. And Bardot...the bastard had struck him there. It was so bad that Rudy went pale and almost passed out. And he fell onto his good side. Penny fell to the ground as well, from both the pain and the force of the strike.

After Bardot left them alone, the two remained quiet, quietly whimpering from the agony. Penny kept wanting to press her hand against her head wound in an attempt to get it to stop bleeding. Yet every time she just barely touched it, waves of pain were sent throughout her body, forcing her to take her hand away. And it wasn’t like Rudy had it any better. He couldn’t even move from his spot on the ground without triggering pain. Even now, he was still whimpering from the pain, unable to move.

Once in a while, she could see him shudder. And she knew it was from the agony he was in. She wished she could do something for him. She hated seeing him like this. But not only did she have nothing that could help him, but she was in the same boat as he was. Her body was battered just like his. Both of them were losing a lot of blood. Thirst settled in deeply, and so had hunger. She could feel herself getting weaker.

It was only a matter of time before they would be so weak, they could hardly fight back. The only thing that remained somewhat strong was their will. They still tried to defy Bardot and Draow whenever they could. They refused to show fear all the time towards them. They would still retort whenever they could. They would not allow them the pleasure of completely breaking them. They would not give them that satisfaction.

Draow was annoyed by how strong their spirits were. He had expressed anger that, even in their beaten states, they still had the courage to mouth off to them or even try to strike back in an attempt to defend themselves, or simply out of anger. He kept throwing threats that, if they don’t stop it, he would do much worse to them. Yet that did little to stop Penny and Rudy from continuing to resist.

Bardot, on the other hand, was rather calm. He was certain that, sooner or later, they would break. He complimented on their spirit, saying how impressed he was that they were able to last this long. He went as far as tell them that they reminded him of Barney, and how hard he was to break.

The mention of Barney enraged Rudy and Penny. Despite the pain they were in, they cursed out Bardot for harming an innocent zoner. Bardot merely shrugged it off, and he went on to tell them about how Barney endured the breaking of half of his legs and still would not tell him the information that he wanted. Barney was hard to break, but Bardot reminded the two that everyone had a point where they can’t take anymore. He had found Barney’s, ripping out his eyes and threatening his turtle friend, and he turned to the teens, an eerie smile on his face. He promised them that he would find their breaking point as well.

If they weren’t in so much pain, they would have done something to retaliate against Bardot. The pain kept them frozen on the ground, unable to do anything. Bardot just sneered at them before he left them alone for a time. This relieved the two teenagers. Some time away from...that guy...would do them both some good.

Penny’s mind drifted to their parents. She hoped they were going to be okay. Draow’s promise of a family reunion had her really worried. She already lost her father. Her mind and heart still ached from that. She still couldn’t believe that it had happened. Her eyes filled with tears just thinking about it.

And to know her mother and Rudy’s parents might suffer the same fight... It terrified her. Bardot had access to the real world. That was how he was able to get to them, and those other people. Their parents were not safe. No one in the real world was safe. Bardot and Draow could go in there at any time. They could capture anyone they wanted to, and drag them back into ChalkZone. While discovering their secret was a worry on her and Rudy’s minds, a more pressing matter was...

..what would happen to their parents when they got here? Would they be tortured, just like the other victims? Would Bardot, just to be sadistic, force them to watch the misery that their children were going through? The thought was chilling.

And it wasn’t just their parents they were worried about. Blocky was in danger as well. Bardot revealed to them that he had been captured after having lost a game and has been locked up in one of the chambers in a level below them. Bardot said he won’t do anything to Blocky until the games are over. If Snap succeeds, Blocky will live. But if Snap fails, he promised to kill the zoner as slowly and painfully as possible.

That was just sick... Rudy and Penny couldn’t believe that Bardot would do such a thing. Rudy had tried once to get up to find Blocky, but Penny told him he was in no condition to go anywhere. And it didn’t help that Draow was blocking the exit. As much as it hurt, they couldn’t do anything to help Blocky. They could only hope that Snap will make it on time.

“Ding dong...”

That cold voice...no it couldn’t be... Penny’s eyes widened as she looked over to see Draow standing up. A smirk spread across his mouth, his lips curled upwards in an evil grin.

“Guess what time it is?” Draow asked coldly. He took a step forward, his talons clanging against the ground. The sound echoed off the walls.

Penny started to shiver. Rudy head lifted up his head, his eyes widened in a mix of horror and anger. He tried to get up, but he was still in too much distress to move quickly enough. Draow had noticed him trying to get to Penny and he acted quickly. The bat wolf charged Rudy and smashed him against the wall. Rudy’s howls of pain echoed in the small room.

Penny screamed in horror, her eyes locked onto Rudy’s, as he fell into the ground. He collapsed onto his side, moaning and groaning in pain. He looked over at her, tears filling his eyes. They were from the pain, both mental and physical. He looked like he wanted to try to get up again, but Draow’s presence prevented him from doing so. There was no way he could dodge an attack from the bat wolf, and another blow might do a lot more damage.

Bardot slowly walked into the room. He smirked as Draow headed towards Penny. Bardot himself went over to Rudy. He stood beside him and pressed his paw against Rudy’s head. His claws dug into his scalp. He pulled the boy’s head up to force him to watch what Draow was going to do to his friend.

Draow pressed Penny into the ground with his foot. Then he lowered his head. His jaws clamped around her right leg. He started to slowly twist it, taking his time. As he started doing this, Penny’s eyes shot open. The pain quickly spread up and down her leg. She started to scream in pain, struggling to get free.

“No! Please! Don’t do this! No!” Penny cried out, tears of pain flowing down her face.

Draow ignored her pleas and continued to twist her leg slowly. Penny’s breathing started getting ragged, the pain becoming unbearable. Her eyes widened, her pupils tiny. She clenched her teeth and tried again to get free. As Draow continued to twist her leg, her free one was kicking out wildly, hoping she would land a blow. But Draow stood off to the side, where she couldn’t get at him. And her arms were pinned down by his foot.

Rudy tried to crawl over towards her with his weak left hand. Bardot stopped him by stepping on his crippled right hand. Rudy let out a cry of pain and laid still on the ground. He looked over with wide eyes, reaching his hand out towards Penny.

“No!” Rudy cried, tears in his eyes. “Penny!”

Bardot put his face close to Rudy’s. “Now isn’t this such a lovely show? Let’s continue watching, shall we?”

Rudy watched in horror as Penny’s leg was continuously twisted. He looked at Bardot with wide eyes. “Please...stop this! It was me who kicked you, not her! Do what you want with me! Just please...stop hurting her!” He begged.

Bardot’s eyes narrowed. He stared at Rudy thoughtfully. He looked back at Draow. At this moment, Draow was going to reach the bone’s breaking point soon. And even then, it was clear he was still going to take his time, wanting to make Penny suffer for as long as possible. Penny herself was thrashing wildly on the ground, crying out in pain and pleading for mercy.

The pain Penny was in was indescribable. She felt like her entire leg was on fire. It was like someone was constantly hammering into her leg slowly. She kicked her free leg against the ground constantly. Her hands trembled from the pain. She tried to strike at Draow, but it was no use. She stared up into Draow’s eyes with her own fear-filled one. She silently begged him not to do it, but it was clear Draow was enjoying her misery.

Penny’s eyes widened as she felt something start to give. This was it. Her leg was reaching its breaking point. The bone was not going to be able to handle much more of this. The pain got even more intense. Her mouth flew open, ragged breaths moving in and out faster. Her heart race sped up and she thought it was going to jump out of her chest. She felt her head start to swirl. She knew that she would soon pass out from the pain.

Draow’s grip tightened a little, and she could feel him muster up more strength. He was preparing to break her leg in the most ruthless way possible. She closed her eyes and waited for it to happen.

“Release her.”

This command came as a shock to everyone. Rudy stared at Bardot unbelievably. Penny looked surprised, though it was hard to tell with her face contorted in pain the way it was. Draow stared at Bardot with widened eyes, frozen in place.

Bardot lifted his paw from Rudy’s head and pointed at Draow. His green eyes were narrowed. With a claw pointed at Draow’s direction, he said, “You heard me. Release her.”

Still looking confused, Draow did as he was told. He let go of Penny’s leg. As soon as he did, there was a cry of relief and pain from the girl. Penny sat up slowly and stared down at her leg. She could see the puncture marks from where she was bitten. She gently put her hand on her leg and rubbed along it. There was a lot of pain in the bone from where it was being twisted. It wasn’t broken, but she didn’t think she could use the leg for a while.

She looked over at Bardot. Why had he stopped the attack? He had given Draow the order to break her leg, did he not? So what made him stop? Was there something else he had in mind? And judging from Draow’s expression, Bardot’s actions surprised even the bat wolf. But at least it was over. The pain slowly radiated off of her. She never felt this much instant relief in a long time. She looked over at Rudy and gave him a small smile to show that she was okay. He smiled as well, faintly, glad that she was okay.

The two of them turned their attentions on Draow and Bardot.

“What was that about?” Draow said, his ears lowered. His voice clearly sounded disappointed. “I was just about to get to the good part.”

Bardot moved away from Rudy. He headed towards Draow. “Perhaps...I was a little too hasty when I ordered you to break her leg in an hour. After all...” He turned his attention to Rudy. “I did provoke the child.”

“But he needs to be kept in line.” Draow said, growling softly.

Bardot nodded his head. “Yeah, that is very true. And don’t worry. You’ll have a chance to finish the job.” Penny’s eyes widened in horror at this. “I just don’t feel right now is the best time for that. And besides...” His eyes now locked onto Rudy’s. “The boy did say we could...do what we want with him in exchange for letting Penny go...” A dark chuckle escaped his throat.

“Oh really now?” Draow’s expression brightened. He glared down at Rudy. “The one who killed Mr. Cosmo...” His voice was dark and growly as he said that. He began to make his way towards Rudy.

Penny struggled to get up. Her leg pain caused her to fall back down. “No! Rudy!” She cried out. She could only watch with tear-filled eyes as Draow closed the gap between him and Rudy.

sss

“Where did these things come from?!” Rapsheeba cried. She ran as fast as she could, but she kept slipping since it was icy.

“I don’t know!” Snap was fairing no better. He already fell down a few times. Even with his walking stick, he had a hard time. “Just keep running!”

Snap had no idea that something like this was going to happen. It seemed to have come from nowhere. Then again, he had to realize to expect the unexpected. That’s what happened in the other four games. Why should this one have been any different? Still, he was genuinely taken aback by what happened with this game.

They had arrived about twenty minutes ago. Like some of the past games, there was a timer. Multiple circles adorned it just like before. They knew that it was going to activate the next death trap. But when, they would have no idea. And they doubted Bardot would give them a clue as to when to expect to fight for their lives. No, Bardot would think that it would ‘spoil his fun’ if he told them everything.

The card they found upon arrival had said:

“Welcome to the fifth game. Let’s try for something more relaxing, shall we? A simple game of checkers. No letting the other side win. I hope you get the point.”

One of the shortest cards they found so far. The last line was cause for worry. They had a feeling that it was a hint to what the death trap was going to be. They carefully surveyed the icy land, looking for any traps hidden under the ground. Thankfully, there didn’t seem to be any.

The game here, just like the note said, was checkers. But it was different from any checkers they had played before. The board was massive, slowly rising out of the ground and into position. Huge checkers pieces laid on top of the board. They wondered, at first, how they were going to use them. But on both sides were platforms they could stand on. There were buttons that were clearly meant to control the checkers pieces. They got into position and began to play.

They played the game for ten minutes with nothing happening. Just a seemingly normal game of checkers. Well almost normal if they didn’t take into account the fact that they were playing with gigantic versions of checkers pieces. Once in a while, they would see the circles on the timer get filled up. And as time went on, they got closer and closer to activating the death trap.

And then it happened. As soon as Rapsheeba moved her king to a certain spot, there was a flash of red glowing lines. The timer began to glow red like it did had in the first death trap. Bardot’s distorted laughter. And then they heard a rumbling below the ground. Bardot really had a thing for attacks from below, Snap realized. Before they could see anything, he grabbed Rapsheeba and started running.

As soon as they started to run, huge spikes started to strike from below the ground. They came up with pairs or groups of three. Long, sharp, and jagged. Even their edges sliced, as they found out the hard way. And the spikes came up quickly, ripping through the ground to try to skewer them.

Snap and Rapsheeba continued to run for their lives. Everywhere they went, the spikes would follow. It was like either Bardot knew the path they would take or the spikes really were following them. A few times, he cried out in pain as a spike sliced into them. A few cut into the bandages, causing some of the old wounds to reopen. Rapsheeba didn’t escape unscathed either. Her legs and arms were cut open by spikes that appeared where she wasn’t expecting them.

A few times, a spike was about to hit them from below. This happened to Rapsheeba twice, with Snap pushing her out of the way just in time, intent on making sure she didn’t get more injuries. Rapsheeba returned the favor a few times when it was Snap in danger of being punctured through the body by a spike. They continued working together like this as they ran as fast as they could, running towards where they kept the motorcycle parked.

As they reached the motorcycle, they saw the note was attached to it. Their eyes widened. Had Bardot been here? Or Draow? They looked behind them. The spikes were moving even faster now. They didn’t have time to ponder this. They got onto the motorcycle and started speeding off away from the spikes. After they got forty feet away, the spikes stopped.

Snap took a moment to overlook the damage as they drove away. Spikes didn’t just come through the ground. Some of the buildings they ran past..they were also affected. He bit his lip. What of some zoners were hurt...even killed...? He wanted to do something to help them, but he had no time, sadly. He could only hope that those zoners, if they were hurt, would get help as soon as possible.

Snap started to realize something. These games...there was no pattern to them. They weren’t taking him in a singular direction. They were all in random spots. He began to wonder something. The thought filled him with dread.

Was Bardot just leading them around in circles?


	28. I Will Stop You

Although it didn’t rain constantly, although there were some breaks, that didn’t do much to stop the water from filling up the abandoned home. The rain dripped in from the window. The puddle that had started to form when Terry left had grown by now. Much of the bedroom was now covered in five inches of water. With so little breaks between the rain, the water didn’t have much time to evaporate before more rain came crashing in, adding to the liquid mass on the ground.

Terry had made a mistake when she had put the cloth over the chalkboard. A mistake that she would soon learn to regret. She had been so intent on proving ChalkZone’s existence...she had failed to take into consideration what her actions might cause.

The cloth would make it hard for anyone on the other side to erase the portal. It would leave it open. That would make things easier for her when she came back with a reporter to reveal her discovery. She may have thought that this was a good idea. She may have not realized any negative side effects of forcing the portal to remain open.

But there was something she didn’t take into account. And that was the weather.

Almost constantly, there had been rain. Few breaks in between. The hole in the window allowed for the water to get into the bedroom. The water was spreading, getting higher. And water washes away chalk. Normally, this wasn’t a problem as water erased the portal, like it had the time when there was a small portal in ChalkZone via the playground, from when Reggie smashed the magic chalk into the ground. But now...something was different.

The heavy cloth blocked the chalk outline. Which meant that the water could not touch it. And if it could not touch it, then the portal would not be erased when the water washed over it, or if the chalkboard fell to the ground. And if the portal could not be erased...

...then ChalkZone was about to get a very nasty surprise.

sss

Snap paced back and forth. He hadn’t bothered reading the next clue just yet. His mind was plagued with all sorts of questions. He was filled with anxiety. Rapsheeba looked at him sadly. She had tried to cheer him up, tried to encourage him, but Snap was too distressed to listen to her. They were standing on the edge of the icy region, looking down on the green, rolling hills that came after it. He would have admired the beautiful view if it weren’t for the sense of urgency rising inside of him.

What if his suspicions were right? What if Bardot was just leading him in circles? He had thought, when he started the ‘games’, that Bardot was slowly leading him to where his friends were. But instead, they’ve gone off in completely different directions. At least one of the games involved a total backtrack from where they were headed.

Snap was worried. What if his friends were located much further away in an opposite direction of where the final game was? What if Bardot set up the games this way to waste his time? What if he did things this way so that he would use up more energy, use up more time, and to make it harder for him to get to his friends before it was too late? Those were real possibilities. It was possible that Bardot did the games like this just to mess with his head and body.

Snap knew he couldn’t spend that much time pacing, though. He was wasting enough time as it was. But with this revelation, he was really worried that he was being thrown for a loop. He wondered if Bardot was hiding some things from him. What hasn’t he told him? Were his friends as ‘okay’ as Bardot indicated, or were they much worse than the screams let on?

He looked at the radio. He had never done this before since the games began. He wasn’t sure if it was possible. For all he knew, Bardot made it a one-way radio so only he could contact him. But it was worth a try, wasn’t it? He glanced over at Rapsheeba, who seemed to understand what he was about to do.

Rapsheeba looked at him sympathetically. “It’s worth a try.” She said softly. “Maybe he’ll answer you.”

Snap nodded his head. “Keyword there is maybe.” He glanced down at the radio. “But it’s about time he gave me some more answers. I have to know how long I have left to find our friends... And I have to know if he is just leading us in circles.”

“I don’t know if he’ll answer those questions.” Rapsheeba said, shaking her head sadly.

“But I’ve still got to try.” Snap said, glaring at the radio.

“Yeah.” Rapsheeba said, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. “I know.”

Snap smiled at this, feeling a little better knowing he has Rapsheeba’s support. He continued to stare at the radio. He looked around on its sides, looking for a button he could press that he felt would do something. He found one such button, the red one which he usually used to answer Bardot. He put his hand on it, and hesitated. He had no idea if this would work, but he was still going to try.

Slowly, he pressed his hand on it. He didn’t talk right away. He hesitated, licking his lips in anticipation. What could he say? He tried to think of something he could say that wouldn’t backfire on him. He had a feeling if he sounded too demanding, Bardot would really hurt his friends.

Finally, he spoke.

“Are you there?” Snap asked.

At first, there was just silence. He could only hear static feedback in return. He groaned and shook his head. Of course it wouldn’t work. Why would Bardot make this radio two-way? He may have done it like this so that he couldn’t accidentally overhear any of his planning.

“Hello?” Snap tried again, just in case.

But like before, there was nothing. The only sound he could hear that wasn’t static was breathing. He thought it was Bardot at first, but he recognized the sounds as coming from him and Rapsheeba. It was pretty quiet where they were. Not many zoners were nearby, and the ones that were, well they were silent. And they paid him and her no mind.

Snap sighed in disappointment. Well there goes that idea. Rapsheeba looked at him sympathetically.

“It’s okay. It didn’t hurt to try. “Rapsheeba said.

“Yeah, I know. But I wish that...” Snap started to say.

There was a quick crackle from the radio. It sounded like something was scraping against the speakers. They looked at the radio. At first, it went silent again. But then they heard a few more scrapes. It almost sounded like someone took the radio and was dragging it along the ground attached to a string.

“I really hope you weren’t using this radio to call for help.” Bardot’s cold voice came through the radio. “Because that would be against the rules.”

Snap narrowed his eyes. “No. I wanted to contact you.”

“Of course you did.” Bardot said in an almost dismissive tone. “And let me guess. You have some questions for me?” A low chuckle. “About your friends I take it?”

Snap snarled at this. “How many more games do I have left?”

Bardot didn’t reply. There was a laugh, but that was it.

Snap said, “Why won’t you answer my question?”

And again, Bardot didn’t answer. There was a ‘hmm’ sound, but that was it. Nothing else. Just silence. Snap growled at this. He wasn’t sure if Bardot really had no answer or if he was doing this just to mess with his head. He almost gripped the radio tightly and shake it, but he refrained from doing so.

Rapsheeba didn’t look much happier, either. She glared at the radio. From the way her hands were clenched, Snap guessed that she wanted nothing more than to grab the radio and toss it away. They were both sick of hearing Bardot’s taunting, his laughter, his cold nature in general. Bardot’s refusal to answer when he’ll get to his friends irritated them both. They could practically see that bastard with his smug smile staring at them now.

“Are you taking us in circles?!” Snap cried. He froze, realizing that sounded a little too demanding. After what happened to Rudy and Penny the last time Bardot talked to them via radio, Snap knew he had to be extra cautious when speaking to Bardot on this contraption. What if he decided to hurt them just to ‘teach him a lesson’?

But instead of the screaming of his friends, he was greeted with the cold laughter of Bardot. That didn’t mean that he hadn’t been approaching his friends, though. Snap and Rapsheeba tensed up, awaiting to see what would happen.

Bardot replied after a minute. “The order of the games are...random.”

Snap and Rapsheeba looked at each other. Rapsheeba looked at the radio and asked, “Random?”

“Why yes. They are not in an any particular order. I just randomnly chose the order via...well..rolling the dice more or less. I did it this way so the difficulty of the games doesn’t steadily get tougher, but instead, you are left to guess how much skill you’ll need to survive. It was to..keep you on your toes.” Bardot sneered at them. “It would have been too boring if I just let the games get steadily and progressively worse, now wouldn’t it?”

Snap’s eyes widened at this. The games were randomized so that he could easily jump from a relatively easy game to one that was insanely hard, then to one that was a tad easier, all just to mess with him? To make him and his friends worry constantly about how they were going to make it through the next game?

That was twisted. Snap and Rapsheeba were already on edge every time they came to a new game, unsure of what the death trap would be. Bardot’s words just made them feel even worse. That meant that, any time, they would have to deal with Bardot’s toughest death trap to date. And they weren’t even sure when that would be, or if they already finished the hardest death trap.

Snap would have asked about that, but he doubted Bardot would answer. He glared at the radio. It was just like Bardot to mess with them like that. He couldn’t wait until he reached this guy and made him eat his own words. If Bardot didn’t understand the meaning of regret, he was going to learn it as soon as he got his hands on the bastard.

“And as for your friends...”

Snap and Rapsheeba stared at the radio expectantly. They heard Bardot laugh coldly. Then he cleared his throat and began to speak.

“Perhaps...I will be a little generous. I cannot tell you how long it will take to get to them... It all depends on how fast you move through the remainder of the games.” Bardot said. He paused and then said, “You are at the halfway mark. But do not take that into comfort. As I said, how fast you move determines when you will get here, not the number of games left to play.”

Okay that answered one of their questions. Five games left to play. It was a sense of comfort that the nightmare was halfway done. But as much as they hated to admit it, Bardot was right. They couldn’t celebrate, not yet. They still had to complete these five remaining games to take care of. And if they wasted too much time, then they would be too late to save their friends.

“Of course, I hope you don’t finish the games too fast... I’m not done testing you, Snap.” Bardot said.

“Testing me?” Snap growled. “What am I to you? A test subject?!”

A cold, menacing chortle, and then came Bardot’s answer. “Yes. You are...nothing more than an experiment, Snap. And I am your tester.”

Snap hissed at this. “I am not your experiment!”

Bardot laughed, but he ignored that outburst. Instead, he said something else that took Snap by surprise. “The reason I chose you, Snap, is because you are...well...The Unkillable.”

Snap’s angered face was replaced with one of confusion. “What?”

Rapsheeba asked, “The Unkillable?”

“Yes. After all, you did survive the odds against the Dark Creator...what was his name...ah yes. Teddison Cosmo. Or just known as Mr. Cosmo or even just Cosmo. I was amazed to hear all that had happened to you and yet you survived. So...I have to wonder... Just how ‘unkillable’ are you?”

Snap’s body started to shake. Was this the reason for the ‘games’? Was this why he kidnapped his friends? Just for some sick experimentation where he wanted to test his limitations? Bardot really did think lowly of other zoners. The way he brutally killed Jacko for no reason other than to display a message... And now knowing that he saw him as just a mere test subject... Not that he would have put it past him, but it was chilling hearing it from him.

He stared at Rapsheeba. She looked at him with worry, her eyes widened. She looked visibly insulted that Bardot saw him as nothing more than an experiment to be tested and messed with. She slowly glanced at the radio, her face contorting in disgust. She looked like she wanted to say something, but she chose to be quiet. Snap had a feeling that was the smartest thing to do at this moment.

“Soon or later...you will go down.” Bardot said. “The question is...just how long will it be, before you do fall? How far can I make you drag yourself before death overcomes you? I would love to see that.”

“You asshole!” Rapsheeba snarled, mustering as much hostility as she could.

Snap stared at her in shock. Rapsheeba wasn’t the type to curse like that. Bardot must be really getting under her skin to make her snap like that.

But Bardot pretended like her curse had never taken place. “I know what you may be thinking. I kidnapped your friends just to force you to run a giant, torturous maze. Well...not entirely. You see, I have my own plans for your friends. Unlike Draow, who is motivated by revenge...I am motivated by something else entirely.” He went quiet for a moment. Snap and Rapsheeba stared the radio, their hearts clenching in anxiety. They were dreading what he would say, and when he did speak, they realized quickly they were right to be worred. “I am motivated by hunger.”

Hunger? Snap’s eyes slowly widened in horror. Rapsheeba looked just as shocked. Was Bardot going to...did he just say he was going to...?

“Yeah, that’s right. After the games are complete, fail to stop me...I am going to eat your friends.” They could hear Bardot lick his lips in anticipation. “I love the taste of humans. The other humans I had were good.. I can’t wait to see what your two friends will taste like after they’re all nice and dehydrated.”

“S-Sicko...” Rapsheeba said through clenched teeth, her body shaking in anger.

Snap’s body was shaking as well, strong emotion overwhelming him. He glared at the radio, his eyes narrowed into slits. He clenched the radio tighter. He was tempted to smash it against the ground, crush it under his feet. But if he did that, there may be consequences afterwards. As hard as it was, he had to refrain from smashing the device.

Rage and anger filled his body. He felt his head get hot. It was warm to the touch. His teeth were clenched so tightly he thought they would break off. He hadn’t spoken a word, and he could hear Bardot’s cold laughter on the other line. He was clearly enjoying this.

This monster...he was going to eat his friends... He had kidnapped them...just to put them on the menu. And those other humans that disappeared, the ones Mr. Wilter mentioned...they had also been killed. Bardot had been going into the real world and kidnapping humans and eating them. He was truly despicable... Now he knew just how important it was to stop him. If he didn’t stop him, then not only would he lose his friends, but other humans would be brutally and painfully murdered and devoured by this creature.

Stopping Bardot had become an even bigger priority. He was not going to allow him to get away with this. He was not going to let him kill his friends. He was not going to let him make any other innocent humans suffer at his claws. He would stop him. Somehow, someway, he would stop him.

“I will stop you...” Snap finally said. His voice was strained, laced in hatred. “Not only will I stop you...” His body shook in anger. “...I will make sure you regret everything you’ve done. You will pay for everything you did.”

“I look forward to it.” Bardot sneered before hanging up.

sss

Skrawl walked into the hospital. He was alone. He told his Beanie Boys to wait for him. He thought it would be better if he went in alone as he felt he would look less suspicious to this mystery zoner if he went in on his own. At least this way, it looked like he was just paying respects to an injured zoner. If his Beanie Boys came with him as he went to the hospital, the mystery zoner, if he truly had cameras all around, would get suspicious.

At least he would be able to talk in peace in the hospital. Cameras didn’t work in this particular hospital. It seemed counterintuitive. But this hospital cared a lot about privacy, so there no cameras. It still remained pretty secure. In place of cameras were sensors that would alert the hospital people if someone had past a certain point and use a digital map to reveal their location. This did allow for a lot more privacy in comparison to cameras as they wouldn’t be able to see exactly what the people are doing in this locations.

He had chosen this particular hospital for Barney to be sent to. He needed to speak to him. If Barney had been attacked by the mystery zoner, he may be able to provide valuable information. He did know that he would have to be careful getting the information from him. When he was found in the jungle, he was in horrible shape. Asking for information while he was in that state wouldn’t be a good idea, not unless he took great care in doing so.

Barney’s mental state was a concern. When the Beanie Boys returned, carrying Barney with them and placing him on the stretcher provided for him, Skrawl could see he had suffered many injuries. Some were pretty old and had healed up. A few were treated. Then the remaining ones, which looked to be very recent, were left untreated and looked like they started to get infected. The most startling injury Skrawl could see were his eyes. They were..destroyed more or less, and his eyelids had long swollen shut. He wasn’t sure how long ago this injury had occurred, but losing one’s eyesight did a lot of psychological damage. What state would Barney be in when he woke up?

It was clear that Barney really had been attacked more than once. It was hard to tell how many times, but whoever did this, and he guessed it was the hybrid zoner, they had come back multiple times and beat him up. If he were still a bad guy, he would find amusement in that. But since turning over a new leaf, all it did was disgust him.

Skrawl went up to the receptionist’s desk. “What floor is Barney the Encyclocentipedia on?”

The receptionist looked at him with a perplexed look. Skrawl forgot that some people in ChalkZone were still wary of him. Understandable. He had done a lot of bad things in the past.

“He’s on the second floor. Room D24.” The receptionist said, narrowing their eyes at Skrawl like they expect him to strike them.

Skrawl immediately left to go locate the room. It didn’t take him long to reach it. There was a sign on the door that explained how critical Barney’s condition was. It seemed that he was going to need surgery to try to fix some of the wounds that were really bad. There were a few deep gashes in his back and underside. And a few of his legs looked like they almost ripped off entirely, from what he recalled. Slowly, he opened the door and shut it behind him.

Barney was laying on his side, his body lined across multiple beds to accomodate his long body. His wings were ripped to shreds, no doubt by the hybrid zoner. There were many more scratches on him than just the ones he saw initially. His face looked a little bruised and his face was contorted in pain. Skrawl could only imagine what he had gone through before he finally passed out.

With Barney’s eyelids permanently swollen shut like that, it was hard to tell if he was asleep or not. The steady beeping of the hard monitor suggested that he was sleeping, but he could just be relaxed, feeling safe to be out of that jungle and somewhere far away. There were multiple IVs attached to him, keeping him hydrated. His wounds were not yet treated, but Skrawl knew that they were going to be here soon to treat them. They had to go get the supplies first.

They wouldn’t be back for a while, so he wanted to take this time and talk to Barney. He had to know as soon as possible about what this hybrid zoner did to him, why, as well as the zoner’s name. Barney might know more of what was going on. If this hybrid zoner kept coming after him, there had to be a reason. He just hoped that Barney would be able to tell him without getting too scared.

Skrawl moved over to Barney’s side, staring at his face. When he reached over to touch his face to see if he was awake or not, the centipede zoner instantly stirred. Barney lifted his face up a little, like he was desperately trying to see. His legs wriggled nervously and he started to move back, or at least he tried to. He was clearly in too much pain to move, and soon he laid back on the beds, his body shivering violently.

“N-No..please..not again...” Barney whimpered, putting his hands in front of his face in a desperate attempt to protect himself. “..leave me alone..I told you everything you wanted to know...why won’t you leave me alone? Why?” Tears managed to stream down the little space left open from his eyelids, staining his face.

“Whoa there, calm down!” Skrawl said. “I’m not the one who hurt you!”

Barney froze, his fearful expression replaced with one of shock. “You’re..you’re not Bardot...?”

Skrawl shook his head. “No, I’m not.” He paused for a moment, taking into consideration what Barney had just said. “Bardot...was that the name of the zoner who hurt you?”

Barney’s lower lip quivered. He nodded his head up and down slowly. “Yeah...A hybrid zoner...” Skrawl’s eyes snapped wide open at this. So he had been right. “He..he kept coming after me for information... I thought it would just be one visit...no, he came again and again. And every time...he hurt me...”

Skrawl asked, “Why did he hurt you?”

Barney said in a shaky voice, “At...at first it was just because I wouldn’t tell him what he wanted... I-I wasn’t going to betray Rudy, so I resisted, but...he was persistant and he..tortured me...”

Skrawl’s eyes widened in horror at this. “He tortured you?”

“Y-Yes...” Barney said, whimpering at the memory. “But even after I...gave in...everytime he came back, he would torture me again..just for the ‘fun’ of it, as he said.”

Skrawl was shocked by this. What kind of sick zoner would keep torturing another even long after they had submitted? Even when he was villain, he wouldn’t have thought of such a thing.

“How long has he been doing this?” Skrawl asked, afraid to know the answer.

Barney’s body shook with emotion. His eyebrows narrowed and he clenched his teeth. More tears came strolling down his face. He spoke in a feeble, terrified voice. “It’s been going on for over a year...”

Skrawl gasped at this. This has been going on this long? Suddenly, Barney’s absense was starting to make sense. Master Tabootie and his friends thought that Barney was just busy. Whenever they had tried to visit him, he would keep saying he was working on something. None of them knew how he could be busy for that long on the same project. Something else was going on, and now Skrawl knew what it was.

The true reason why Barney had been busy, why he hadn’t been seeing Rudy or Penny or Snap or anyone...it wasn’t because he was actually busy. It wasn’t because he started a new project and was just caught up in it. It wasn’t because he decided to take a trip somewhere, or because he was busy exploring new places. No, the actual reason he had been ‘busy’, why he hadn’t been able to contact Rudy or Penny in all this time....

....was because, for the past year, he had been constantly abused by Bardot...


	29. You Must Be Patient, Draow

Draow growled softly, his lips curled up to show off his fangs. He had his ears flattened against the side of his face. His pupils had shrunk a little as he stared intensely ahead. There was nothing really to look at. But he wanted to fixate his gaze on something since Bardot wasn’t there. He had gone off somewhere, probably to ‘check’ on their new prisoner, Blocky.

He wasn’t interested in seeing Bardot, at least not now. He could feel the anger inside growing stronger. He had thought he made a good choice with teaming up with the little beast. He was vicious, just like his master, if not even more so. And he loved the idea of finally getting revenge on the brats who took his master down. He loved to see them suffer, to pay for what they had done. He had dreamed of not much else for over a year, brooding in that cell, hoping that one of them would get close enough so he could slash them open.

He enjoyed the pain he inflicted on Rudy a little while ago. After Bardot told him not to break Penny’s leg, at least for the time being, he was allowed to hurt Rudy instead, who had offered himself up in exchange for not breaking the girl’s limb. Rudy was the one who ultimately killed Cosmo, so Draow did feel much more satisfaction from attacking him. He had pushed Rudy onto his back and started to slowly cut into his back with his claws. He did this slowly, applying pressure as he went. Oh how the boy screamed and struggled, and Draow just kept going, relishing in his cries of pain, his pleas for mercy.

Then after he had his fun tearing the boy’s back open, he grabbed him by the shoulder, ripping into it, drawing blood. He shook the boy hard, and then, mustering as much strength as he could, threw Rudy into the ground, landing close to Penny. Draow stared as Penny tried to wake up Rudy, who had passed out from the pain. Pity... Draow had hoped he would be awake. He wanted to hear the boy cry. Oh well, it was still satisfying giving him what he deserved.

Yet, despite that satisfaction, Draow was still getting angry, and it wasn’t the two kids who were upsetting him, strangely enough. No, it was Bardot. He had recently been getting peeved with him, although he never spoke up.

It was this plan of his. He was growing impatient. He was all for drawing things out. He liked increasing the amount of pain and the duration inflicted on his enemies. But he really wanted to get his teeth into Snap. He has had his fun with Rudy and Penny, and he looked forward to hurting them more. He looked forward to hearing Penny scream when he finally gets to break her leg completely.

But he still wanted to get to Snap. A part of him was screaming for Snap to hurry up. He wanted the little runt to make it all the way to the end to face him. Draow kinda hoped that Snap, by the time he arrived, would have enough energy to scream. Draow really wanted to hear him scream as he tears into him and rips him apart. And yet, he wasn’t sure if he would ever get that chance. From what Bardot said, Snap is getting really beat up by the games anyway. It sounded like he was going to be barely alive if he arrives at all, and that is not what Draow wanted. He didn’t want Snap to drop dead before he had a chance to torture him.

He had suggested once for Bardot to let him go fetch Snap so they could hurry up and get this over with. He wanted Snap to be in the same room as his friends. He wanted Rudy and Penny to be awake and to bear witness to what was to become of their friend. He was growing weary of these games. His talons pressed into the ground in anticipation. He wanted a chance to attack Snap, and he wanted it now.

Draow turned his head so he could see the two humans they have captive. Penny, despite her injuries, had managed to hold Rudy in her arms. She had long ago stopped trying to wake him up. Instead, she was crying, hugging him. She wasn’t paying attention to Draow. She wasn’t even looking in his direction.

Draow could see the blood from Rudy’s wounds cover Penny. Her shirt and skirt was covered in the stuff. The whole room had many blood stains, now that he thought about it. He and Bardot had done a number on the two teenagers. The scent of blood clung strongly in the air. The teens might not be able to smell it with their weak sense of smell, but Draow could. It filled him with satisfaction. With Bardot, he noticed it made him look more visibly excited. He knew it was because he wanted to eat them.

Eating humans...what a disgusting thought. Draow snarled a little at the mention of eating human flesh. Or anything in the real world for that matter. It couldn’t possibly taste very good. Not to mention it was highly dangerous. He had to give Bardot credit. He was pretty brave and adventurous for eating something that most zoners would normally not be able to stomach. That alone showed that Bardot was not someone to mess with.

And yet, Draow’s patience was being tested. He had even considered this was part of Bardot’s plan. He had once stated that he saw Snap as just an experiment. Did he see him the same way as well? Was Bardot experimenting with him, and just seeing how long it takes before he snaps? If that were the case, Bardot was doing a great job so far in making him angry and impatient.

He continued to watch Penny for a few more minutes. He grew tired of watching the two. He wanted to hear something different. He wanted to hear Snap’s crying and screaming accompanying them. Or at the very least, he wanted Rudy to wake up so he can hear his moans and groans of pain. It was getting boring for him to see the same thing, Penny holding and crying over Rudy, for the past half hour. And it wasn’t like he could do anything to her anyway. For the time being, he was to leave Rudy and Penny alone.

Perhaps...perhaps now was a good time to talk to Bardot about this. Maybe he could convince the smaller zoner to speed things up a little. Or maybe he could at least get a better understanding of what more Bardot has in store. And he also wanted to know why Bardot often disappeared. Just where does he go? It’s not like Bardot tells him much of where he is, just that he’d be back. In fact, he was surprised that Bardot even told him about ‘visiting’ Blocky. One of the few times he’s told him anything.

He glanced back at Penny. Of course, he had been told to stay here and watch the two teenagers. He was not to leave his post. But still...what’s a few minutes going to hurt anyway? It wasn’t like he was going to be gone that long. And it wasn’t like the two teens were in any position to go anywhere. Penny’s leg likely still hurts from when he twisted it. And Rudy is in too much pain to stand up. Yes...they weren’t going anywhere.

Keeping that in mind, Draow shifted himself, putting his feet in the position to push himself up off the ground. There was still the worry that Bardot might not be too happy with him leaving his post. But he kept reminding himself, there was no way these two were going to able to go far in their condition. It’s not like they haven’t left them alone for a time before, and they always remained in the room when they got back. And if the little brats tried to leave, they will both be taught a very painful lesson.

With that, Draow got up to his feet. He took a quick glance at Penny once more. Just in case, he figured he would give her a warning.

“You... Stay here with your little friend. I am going for a little bit.” Draow said. His voice was growly as he spoke. “If I come back and find that you have moved from that spot, I will make you regret it.”

He smirked as Penny glared back at him. She held her tongue and soon turned her attention back to Rudy. Draow turned and walked away.

He began to make his way down the tunnels. There were a good number of them. Some of the tunnels were pretty narrow and he could barely fit through. He wasn’t sure how this place was built, but one thing he did take notice were some pieces of wood sticking out of the ground. It was clear that this place wasn’t all solid rock; a few areas were made with wood and then just covered by rock.

Interesting... He wondered if this meant that Bardot didn’t build all of this place like he had thought. Maybe some of it was just naturally formed this way and Bardot just added to it later on. If he had been planning all this for over a year, then he would have had plenty of time to do something like this.

He kinda wished that he varied the place a little more, though. Much of the areas looked the same, making it hard to tell if he was navigating to the right spot or not. Luckily, Bardot did at least mark the tunnels, labeling them. And it didn’t take long for Draow to find the one marked for prisoners. He headed down that hallway.

He walked down the hallway, heading towards where Bardot said he would be. The tunnel wound in circles a few times before then becoming jagged, as if Bardot wanted to put in some stairs. They were narrow and hard to walk down. Draow would have just used his wings and fly down, but there wasn’t enough room in this narrow tunnel to do that, so he had no choice but to walk down, almost tripping a few times.

Once he reached the bottom, he was at a three-way intersection. He looked at the symbols written at the top. One was a circle, one a triangle, and one a square. Odd choices, but perhaps it was for the best. This made it a little harder for intruders to know which tunnel to take to find their friends. Draow knew for a fact that Blocky would be down the middle tunnel, the one marked with a triangle.

This tunnel was completely straight. Lining both sides were multiple rooms, empty ones that were to be used for prisoners. Bardot mentioned that these holding cells would keep both zoners and humans restrained. The yellow and red zoner had taken a note from Cosmo and had used electrified water bars to keep anyone from getting out. These rooms, as Bardot said, were for any and all future prisoners that he would end up capturing.

Soon, up ahead, he found who he was looking for. At the far end, on the left side, he could see a small cell that was holding Blocky. The green zoner was on the ground, bleeding. He couldn’t tell if it was from the injuries he got from the zombies or if Bardot changed his mind about not hurting him and decided to toy with him a little.

And there was Bardot. He was just standing there, smiling at Blocky on the ground. The venomous zoner didn’t speak a word. He just...stared at Blocky with those bright green eyes. It looked kind of creepy, especially with how Bardot was in shadow, illuminated just barely by the torches lining the walls. Draow stared at this scene for a moment, and then started to walk forward.

After Draow worked up the courage to speak, he shouted one word to get the hybrid’s attention.

“Hey!”

At this, Bardot’s ears swiveled. He turned his head. The look in his eyes was intense. The expression he gave, the way he curled his lips up to show more of his fangs, it struck fear in Draow. He did his best to hide it, but he found himself taking a step backwards. Still, he did not run away and he stood his ground.

“I’ve got a bone to pick with you!”

Although Bardot looked visibly upset that Draow was down here, rather than chew him out, Bardot spoke in a pleasant voice. “Dear Draow...what brings you down here? And why aren’t you watching our guests like I told you to?”

Draow’s ears twitched a little. He detected an underlining threat in that last sentence. If there was one thing Bardot was really good at, it was being passive aggressive when he saw fit.

“I have some questions for you.” Draow said, taking care to get rid of the tone of voice he used before. “If you don’t mind...”

Bardot smiled. He turned around so he was facing Draow. He sat on the ground, similar to how a dog would. “Okay then...” He tilted his head to the side, letting out a soft chuckle. “Ask away.”

sss

“P-Penny...I don’t think this is such a good idea...” Rudy said, groaning in pain.

He was on his feet, being supported by Penny. They were headed towards the door, being very close to it by now. Every step he took sent shockwaves of pain through his body, and the lack of food and water made things even worse.

Penny said, “I know, Rudy. But we’ve got to try...”

Rudy had just barely woken up from being knocked about by Draow like that. He found that he had lost a lot of blood, both on the ground and on Penny. His body had seering pain spreading throughout it. And there was nothing he could do to make it go away. Any position he put himself in, some area of his body was being agonized by pain.

Penny had managed to stop the flow of blood the best she could. She used more of her skirt and part of her shirt to make more bandages. She pressed against his wounds, apologizing as he cried out in agony, and did her best to stop as much bleeding as possible. She found that she stopped enough that it prevented a very noticeable blood trail. That, combined with the absense of their captors, gave her a daring but very risky idea.

Rudy thought it was crazy to try to escape. They were both too badly injured to go anywhere. And even if they got out, how far would they go before Bardot or Draow would find them? And Draow...he had a keen sense of smell. He’d be able to hound them very quickly. And he wasn’t sure he wanted to know the punishment for trying to escape.

But Penny believed it was worth a try. If they could just get out of this cave thing they were trapped in, they could figure out where they are and go from there. Their knowledge of ChalkZone would make it easier to figure a route of escape. Rudy still wasn’t sure if it was going to work or not. Again, his main concern was Draow’s sense of smell. And neither of them knew how well Bardot’s sense of smell was. For all they knew, it could even be better than Draow’s, which would be very worrying if that were the case.

He did have to admire Penny’s spirit, though. It still wasn’t completely shattered. If she believed that there was hope for escape, if she truly thought that, if they took the chance now, they could get out of here and find help and get Snap out of the ‘games’, then she really did still have a fire going on inside of her. He just wished he had the same enthusiasm.

Rudy still had hopes for a rescue. It wasn’t that he truly gave up. But this escape...in their condition...he wasn’t sure if it could work. If he had some magic chalk, it might help. As weak as his left hand was, he could try to force himself to use it. If he was careful and went slowly, he probably could draw something at least. Nothing fancy, but something that could help them out of here.

But despite not knowing if this would work or not, he was still willing to go with Penny. There was no way he wanted to stay behind, alone with those monsters. And it wasn’t like Penny was going to abandon him either. No, she would have been upset if she had been forced to do that.

Penny was doing her best to support him. She slung his arm over her shoulder and held on tightly. She did her best to ignore any pain she was feeling as they walked towards the door. She made sure not to hit his right hand, which still stung horribly from pain. The side she let Rudy leaned on was his injured one, which hurt even worse and the investion was clearly spreading. Little by little, they got closer to the door. Each agonizing step got them closer to freedom, or to be specific, out of the room.

Rudy’s stomach felt like it was burning. Hunger settled in deeply. He felt like he was going to be sick. His body shook a little from how weak he was, and his mind was craving food and water. His mouth was a lot dryer than before, to the point where just trying to talk took a lot of effort. Walking like this was taking up more of their remaining energy, another reason why he didn’t want to risk leaving while they were in this condition. Maybe of some zoner happened by and helped them...

Penny wasn’t in the greatest condition either. Like him, she hadn’t eaten or drank anything in all this time. And it was starting to show. Her movements were a little slower and more delayed due to the lack of energy and nutrients. Whenever she spoke, her voice sounded a little scratchy and dry, and sometimes she would smack her lips in thirst. They both needed food and water and fast.

After a few minutes of painfully walking, they managed to reach the door. They stopped, looking left and right. Thankfully, neither Draow nor Bardot were in sight. But how long it would stay like that...neither of them could tell.

“Which way should we go?” Rudy asked. He wasn’t sure which way Draow or Bardot had gone. He hoped Penny would.

Penny thought for a moment. It took her a little longer to respond, again due to the lack of food and water. Her head must be starting to feel a little muggy. “Draow went to the right...” Penny turned her head. “So we will go left.”

With that, the two headed towards the left. Rudy realized quickly that they had no idea where they were going. They weren’t even sure if this was the way to the exit. He would have asked Penny to turn him around and head back. Both of them were moving painfully slowly due to their injuries. But they had come so far already. They managed to get out of the room. It might not be a wise choice to just turn back after all that. And it did feel nice to be finally out of that hellhole of a room, away from the stains of blood and memories of their torture.

As they limped down the hall, Rudy took notice at how big the place really was. It was hard to tell from the little room he and Penny were kept in. But there were a lot of tunnels here, barely marked. It was like Bardot was afraid of intruders, so he had minimal marking, as little as possible. He must have the whole place memorized. Rudy was reminded of Mr. Cosmo’s lair, with all the hallways and how confusing it was to everyone except for him. Rudy half wondered if Bardot got the idea from him.

The two tried their best to quicken their pace. This may be their only chance to escape. They couldn’t afford to waste any time. Rudy prayed that they would have enough time to get out of the lair. He hoped that someone would be on the outside, someone who could help them get away. Then they could end this nightmare.

And yet there was still that worry that often crossed his mind. A thought that sent cold shudders down his spine. A thought he did his best to push back and ignore, yet, despite all his efforts, despite what he kept telling himself, it was still a worry.

What if they couldn’t win this time?

sss

Bardot couldn’t believe it. He just couldn’t believe it. He had given Draow a simple order. To stay and watch Rudy and Penny while he was gone. Anytime he gave that order, he meant it; only rarely did he let Draow leave their side and let them be alone. Those times would be pretty brief, or when the two were unconscious and wouldn’t wake up anytime soon.

And yet, here stood Draow before him. He had wanted to ask questions regarding his plan. He didn’t know why the beast couldn’t wait. He didn’t recruit him to have him ask questions while leaving his post. Bardot was considerably angry, yet he did his best to hide it. He knew what he would be like if he had snapped. No, it was best to keep it all hidden inside. And even if he did allow himself to lose it, Draow was the last zoner he wanted to unleash that anger against.

Draow was too valuable of an ally to dispose of. Bardot couldn’t even bring himself to hurt the bat wolf. He was worried that if he hurt him too badly, he wouldn’t be able to perform his duties that well. It was so much easier capturing victims with the aide of a large winged wolf who could crush bone with his jaws. It also served as a sort of protection for him. Despite his speed and venom, Bardot knew very well of his frail body compared to Draow’s. Having someone large, heavy, and strong by his side did solve this issue.

His stomach still ached a little from the kick Rudy delivered to him. The boy must have a lot of guts to do something like that. He hadn’t expected him, especially in his weakened state, to do that. It had been a very big mistake; he almost lost his temper there. At least the boy wouldn’t try something like that again.

But it did still serve as a reminder. He was a small zoner. His shoulders only came about as high as Snap. His body was not built to handle as much as abuse as someone like Draow or Tsere could take. That was where his speed came in handy. He was going to need it for when Snap came to confront him. If Snap ever found out that his body wasn’t as durable as one might think, and if he found a way around his venom and his swiftness, he knew he would be in trouble.

That was part of a reason, though not a very major one, why he was torturing Snap with these games. It was to ensure that Snap would be very weak by the time he reaches him, to make it harder for Snap to get an edge over him. Though mostly, it was just for fun.

“I understand your impatience.” Bardot said calmly, pacing back and forth in front of Draow. His long tail swished from side to side. “But you still must calm yourself. Be patient. Everything will fall into place soon. Snap is already halfway done with the games. I have confidence he’ll survive the rest. And then you can have your way with him.”

“But the way you talked about ‘looking forward to facing Snap’...” Draow’s ears flipped back. “Does that mean you believe he will beat me?”

Bardot stared at Draow. Then he laughed. “There is a chance he will, yes. I will not underestimate him, and neither should you.”

“He won’t get by me...” Draow growled, baring his sharp teeth.

“Well then...” Bardot said as-a-matter-of-factly. He walked by Draow, tracing his tail along his leg as he went. Draow turned his head and watched him, an irritated look on his face. “...you best get your act together for when he does come. If you believe you will beat him...then prove it to me when the time comes.”

The two zoners started to walk down the tunnel together. Draow kept some distance behind Bardot, like he wanted to follow him wherever he went. Bardot ignored this. The bat wolf probably wanted to ask more questions. He had done his best to answer the ones he gave him, and it seemed to satisfy the bat wolf to some degree. Yet it seems clear that Draow’s impatience was getting a little too strong. He would have to satisfy him with something to keep Draow under his finger.

He thought about letting Draow toy a little more with Rudy and Penny, but he wasn’t sure how long that would keep him happy. The winged zoner really wanted to get his claws into Snap. Though he hated Rudy the most, he clearly wanted to hurt all three of them.

Bardot wasn’t about to sabotage his plan just because the big wolf can’t control his appetite for blood. But maybe he could think of something that would work, even just for a little while. He recalled how Draow was excited to break Penny’s leg. Yes...yes that would do nicely. As soon as they got back, he would let him do that. And this time, he wouldn’t stop Draow as Penny’s leg was about to snap in two.

But when they got back to the room, both Bardot and Draow were shocked at what they saw. Or rather, what they didn’t see.

Rudy and Penny were...gone. Nowhere in sight. The two of them rushed into the room and looked around. They looked left and right. No, it was impossible. They have to be in here somewhere... Oh who was Bardot kidding? They were gone. There was no place in this room for them to hide.

Draow growled softly under his breath in irritation. “Those brats...!”

Bardot breathed in and out slowly. He could feel his anger rising again. His pupils dilated into dots and he began to snarl, drool and heated venom hitting the ground. He turned his head to face Draow. When the bat wolf caught sight of him, he immediately backed away, tail between his legs. Bardot backed Draow into a corner, ignoring the wolf’s whines as he raised his claw.

Bardot hissed under his breath, “I told you to...watch them!”

Draow winced and his ears pressed against the side of his head. “Sorry!”

Then Bardot stopped himself and shook his head. Instead of striking Draow, he swung his paw towards the direction of the entrance. “Come along. They couldn’t have gotten far.”

Draow, though still shaken up, took on a ferocious stance and followed Bardot down the tunnels in pursuit of their prey.


	30. Tell Us What You Know

Snap hardly paid attention to the riddle. It barely registered to him. Rapsheeba had already solved it, deducing that they had to go to the place where Rudy drew her a new set. Snap did show gratitude that she managed to solve it, because he didn’t think he could do it himself, at least not at the moment. His mind was too preoccupied to think about the riddle, or what it could mean. His talk with Bardot had affected him more than he realized.

He was sick to his stomach. To think that Bardot wants to eat his friends...it didn’t settle with him. He had no idea that was part of his plan. It never registered to him that he was going to do such a thing. And that made his plans all that much more worse. That made him angrier than before.

That meant that Bardot saw his friends as nothing but walking piles of meat. He saw them as just food. How disgusting... And those other people that he ate... Did Bardot not think once about what he was doing? Did he not realize that he was killing sentient beings just so he could stuff his face? Did he not take into consideration any of that?

Of course not... Why would he? Bardot had shown just how nasty he can be, and Snap wouldn’t doubt he had even more nasty surprises ahead of him in the future. It was like Bardot thinks this is all a game. Oh wait, he does. He made it quite clear. Everything he does is part of some big ‘game’, and he and his friends are just pawns for him to move around and toy with. Bardot thinks he can do whatever he wants with no consequence. He believes that everything he does is logical and acceptable. Snap would see to it that he realizes just how wrong he is.

That wasn’t the only thing that Bardot said that upset him. The randominization of the games was another concern. It wasn’t as dire or as enraging as finding out Bardot wanted to eat his friends, but it was still a concern nonetheless. Without knowing how difficult the next challenge would be, how could he and Rapsheeba be prepared for it? And Bardot’s deadliest death trap...when would they run into it, or have they already?

These games, the way they have been set up, it had been taking them in circles. Bardot confirmed that, more or less. He made everything random so they would always be playing a guessing game. They never knew how much worse the deathtraps could get. They never knew how far they’d have to travel until they get the card that gives them a riddle, which they then must solve to get to the next game in order to activate the next deathtrap and so on and so forth.

Snap realized Bardot was trying to wear them out completely. Not just physically, but mentally, too. Not only was he depriving them of food and water for most of the trip, but he was making them travel great distances in all sorts of directions to reach the next games. All that walking was taking a toll on them. The riddles were wearing them out mentally. It took some time to figure them out, and Snap’s head hurt a few times from thinking too hard. He wondered if Bardot was doing this so his mental reaction time would be compromised when he finally reaches him.

Snap was getting very hungry, and he knew Rapsheeba was hungry as well. Neither of them had eaten in all this time. He knew he was going through what Rudy and Penny were. This gave him some motivation to push himself a little harder, but he knew if he overexerted himself, he wouldn’t have much energy left to face Bardot. He needed to find something to eat or drink and fast. Maybe there’ll be a stand near where the next game is. It was a possibility.

He was feeling much weaker. He was still able to walk just fine with the stick, and he was able to fight back against the coming tiredness. At least for now. His stomach rumbled loudly and he smacked his lips in thirst. His injuries aggravated his thirst and hunger, making them more prominent. His bleeding had stopped, which was a good sign, but he had already lost a ton of blood. That wasn’t making things any easier. Grogginess spread across his head. He did his best to ignore it.

But it was a fruitless effort. There was no way he could ignore this, not for long. He could still do as best as he could. But determination can only get him so far. His body still had the final say. He could believe that he could do it all he wanted to, but once his body falls apart, no amount of ‘I can, I can’ will help him. With each step he took, he could feel himself growing weaker. Looking over at Rapsheeba, he could tell that she was experiencing the fatigue as well.

There was a small chance Bardot would leave them something to eat and drink at the next game. Or there would be something somewhere they could use. Bardot seemed determined to make sure Snap survived the games without actually making things all that easy for him. He did provide the first aid kit, which Rapsheeba still carried, which hadn’t been used since Jacko’s maze.

Snap suddenly got a cold realization. In just a few hours, it would have been almost forty-eight hours since his friends were captured. Or had it been longer? It was hard to keep track of the time. He often forgot to ask Rapsheeba. They were so focused on the games, it was hard for him to remember what time it was. And that scared him, not knowing exactly how much time has passed. What he was certain of was that his friends were running out of time.

As much as he wanted to hope they were okay, he knew that wasn’t the case. Bardot and Draow were abusing them both. The screams he heard, that was just a taste of what they had been through there. He had no idea just how bad off they were. And with them not being able to eat or drink...their condition was even worse.

The fact that Bardot refused to elaborate on just how ‘well’ his friends were doing was irritating. He would only go as far as say they were alive, and maybe hint at how much pain they were in. But never once did he tell everything about what they were doing to them. Bardot was deliberately withholding information just to mess with him, to keep him in the dark. He wanted to call him again to demand answers, but he knew Bardot would not be straight with him.

It might be very well true that he never lies. Bardot hinted that he wasn’t one for lying. But that didn’t mean that he couldn’t give misleading information. It didn’t mean that he couldn’t withhold information. He could be just giving him the bare minimum, and keeping everything else a secret unless something came up and he had to reveal it. He was keeping him in the dark about almost everything. Snap was certain of this.

And because of his little habit of keeping some data to himself, Snap had a feeling there was a lot about these ‘games’ and Bardot’s plan that he hadn’t considered. At the moment, he couldn’t really think of anything. But he had to wonder if there was more to these games than met the eye, if there was more to Bardot’s plans than he let on. Was there something that Bardot didn’t want him to find out?

Before he had time to think more of this, he realized Rapsheeba had stopped. He almost ran into her. He was able to stop himself before that happened. He looked at her, confused. Why did she stop walking? They hadn’t even arrived yet had they...?

He looked out ahead and he was shocked. They arrived at the place. This was it all right. Snap would have recognized it from a distance. This was the place where he met Rapsheeba personally. Well not just him. Rudy and Penny also met the singer here. It was during her Rapunzel performance. Snap felt a sharp pain at the memory. It just further reminded him of the danger the two were in.

He was still surprised they managed to get here that fast. They had lost the motorcycle a while back, so they could no longer use it. It had broken down about...he would say an hour ago. Or at least it felt like an hour. He wasn’t sure. The point of the matter was that they were back to walking.

Rapsheeba grabbed not one, but two cards taped on the side. One of them had the description of the next game. The second card was of a pinkish shade to differentiate it from the other one. Rapsheeba read the pink one first.

It read:

“So tired from your travels you must be. I will give you a little something to alleviate that. It is not poisoned in any way. Oh I know how you must be surprised, Snap, not taking this chance to hurt you more. But with the torture you’re going through, what with knowing your friends are in danger and the deathtraps you must avoid, I see no reason to poison the food.

Love, Bardot”

Snap growled. Love... Bardot deliberately wrote it like that just to piss him off. And it worked. He wanted to crumple the note, but he refrained from doing so. He took in a deep breath to regain his composure. He looked over at Rapsheeba as she held up the second note.

“Okay...what kind of game are we in for this time?” Snap asked.

sss

Mr. Wilter relaxed in his recliner and turned the station, trying to find something for him to watch. He wasn’t interested in watching the news. He didn’t want to feel even more depressed. While there hadn’t been any new missing reports since Rudy and Penny were taken, much of the news covered the investigation to try to find the people that had gone missing the past few days. And of course, there hadn’t been any new leads, or even any evidence they were still alive.

It was frustrating for him to know more about what was going on, or rather have an idea of what was happening, and not being able to tell anyone. In fact, the only two people he could talk to about this were Terry and Vinnie. Rudy had told him about how they found out about ChalkZone and have been trying to expose it. Thankfully, they’ve been thwarted everything, though they were still a big concern.

These two people were the only ones he knew, besides the corrupted artists whom he hadn’t seen in years, who would take his story seriously. He could tell them he believes the people were being taken into ChalkZone, and they would believe his every word. But telling them would be disastrous. It was too risky to do.

They could use that as an excuse to have ChalkZone more thoroughly explored to make sure it was ‘safe for the public’. And it’s not like they’d be of much help either. Even if they did want to help find the missing people, they were still a couple of humans who had no idea what they were in for. They had little knowledge of how ChalkZone worked, evident from how they weren’t able to tell their giant rat not to scream ‘I must find the magic chalk!’ as soon as he was ‘born’ into ChalkZone, from what Snap had told him once.

Mr. Wilter wanted to get in touch with Snap, but what could he do? It wouldn’t be wise to try to get into ChalkZone. He had no idea what kind of danger Rudy and Penny were in. What if Draow found out he was coming? He knew how much the wolf hated him. He might kill the two teenagers in front of him out of spite. And he had no idea how dangerous this other zoner was. Obviously more so than Draow if the bat wolf was following him. Jumping into action without considering the danger would be a dangerous move, and one that he could not afford.

Still, it was frustrating knowing something was wrong, having an idea of just what was wrong, and not being able to confirm it or get any updates. He had no idea how Rudy and Penny were. He didn’t know if they were badly hurt, if they were even alive. The thought was distressing. He really wanted to know how they were doing and if Snap managed to find them yet, or if he was close to getting to them. The only way to know was to head into ChalkZone, but his rational side told him that might make things a lot worse.

Something told him that the zoner Draow is working for might not like it. He wasn’t sure what gave him this feeling. Maybe it was from facing off against his ex-best friend, Cosmo. He remembered how hard it was when he lost Cosmo as a friend when the black chalk took him over, how painful it was to fight him the first time around. It wasn’t as hard a year and a half ago when he had long accepted that the real Cosmo was gone, replaced by that twisted monstrous version the black chalk had created.

One thing he had learned when facing off against Mr. Cosmo is that people like him, they don’t like their plans being messed with. They don’t like it when someone else barges in, and chances are, they would do something about it. Though Mr. Cosmo had hidden it well, he was not happy to see him when he stopped his effort at ‘recruiting’ Rudy. And no doubt this strange new zoner had a similar line of thinking.

As much as he wanted to help, he had no choice but to wait instead. Wait and hope everything would turn out all right. He realized that this made him look like a coward. He knew that his help may be required. But he had so little information about this new zoner, he wouldn’t know what to do even if he did decide to go into ChalkZone. Where would he begin? What would this new zoner do when he saw him wandering around? Would he kill off Rudy and Penny out of anger?

These things plagued the teacher’s mind.

As he tried to relax a little bit, his doorbell rang. He looked over, a little confused. Who would be visiting him at this time? Sure, it wasn’t that late. But he wasn’t expecting any company, especially not in the evening. Oh well, he might as well go answer it.

He got up out of his recliner and went over to answer the door. The doorbell rang a few more times. Whoever wanted to see him, they were getting impatient. He wasn’t sure if they were just excited to see him or if it was something else entirely. He was a little annoyed by the repeated buzzing of his doorbell. Did they have no sense of patience?

When he opened the door, he was surprised by who he saw.

“Mr. and Mrs. Tabootie!” Mr. Wilter cried in surprise. He paused as he noticed they weren’t the only ones who came over. “Mrs. Sanchez! What brings you three over here?”

“We’re sorry.” Mrs. Tabootie said.

“Is it okay if we come in?” Mr. Tabootie asked, a sad expression on his face.

“Okay.” Mr. Wilter said. He stepped aside. “Come on in.”

“Thank you.” Mrs. Sanchez said.

Mr. Wilter led the three into his living room. He gestured for them to sit on his long choice. He pushed his recliner so he could more easily face them. He shut off the tv so they could focus on whatever it is they wanted to talk about. Mr. and Mrs. Tabootie sat down next to each other. They looked very upset and were trying their best to comfort each other. Mrs. Sanchez sat close by. She looked at the other two parents sympathetically but it was clear she was suffering as well.

He knew the reason they were upset. He would be an idiot not to know. They were worried about their children. He couldn’t blame them. If he were in their shoes, he would be very upset as well. Rudy and Penny had been missing for nearly two days now. And there were no signs of them coming back any time soon.

But the one thing Mr. Wilter couldn’t figure out is...why had they come here? It wasn’t like he knew anything about where their children were. He wasn’t anywhere near their homes when they were abducted. And it’s not like he hangs out with Rudy and Penny a lot outside of school. So why had they sought him out? There was the possibility that they were out for hours looking for Rudy and Penny, found nothing, and just wanted a place to rest. That would make sense, but that may not be the case here.

After a few minutes of silence, Mr. Wilter decided to speak up.

“Was there a reason you came to see me?” Mr. Wilter asked.

“Actually yeah.” Mrs. Sanchez said. She wiped away a few tears. Her face was really red from all the crying she was doing. When she spoke, her voice cracked a little. “As you are aware, our children are missing.”

“Yes, I know.” Mr. Wilter said, his voice and expression filled with sympathy. “The police are trying to find them, and the others that have gone missing. But far as I know, unless there’s been a new report, they haven’t been able to find them. I’m so sorry about that.”

“It’s not your fault.” Mr. Tabootie said. He glanced at the ground. He sniffled. It sounded like he had been fighting the tears for a long time. He glanced back at Mr. Wilter. “None of us...would have known something like this would happen.”

Mrs. Tabootie let a few tears stream down her face. “I wish we knew if they were okay... I wish we knew where they were...”

Mr. Wilter sympathized with the parents. It was hard not knowing where their children were. He wished he could say something to help them feel better. But what could he say? He was just as in the dark as he was on this whole thing.

He still wondered why they were here. Mrs. Sanchez hinted there was more to them coming here than just telling him how much they missed their children. That was something they could have done over the phone. So why did they come over? There had to be a reason for this visit. But what?

Mrs. Tabootie turned her attention to Mr. Wilter. As if she knew what he was thinking, she said, “I think it’s time we...we told you why we come over here.” She paused for a moment. Mr. Wilter looked at her expectantly. She finally spoke again. “Have...have Rudy and Penny..disappeared during school?”

This question took Mr. Wilter offguard. “What?”

“Reggie mentioned to us, when we ran into him earlier, that sometimes he notices Rudy and Penny gone for extended periods of time.” Mr. Tabootie said. “This behavior isn’t surprising. Our boy would disappear for hours. We thought it was because he just has a hiding place he liked to escape to. But during school?” He shook his head. “That was when we realized something was up.”

Mr. Wilter felt a pang in his heart. After all this time, Rudy and Penny’s parents were finally becoming suspicious. Just how far did they get? How much did they suspect or figure out? He dared not speak, for fear he might confirm their suspicions.

“Since you’re their teacher, we were wondering...” Mrs. Sanchez said. She bit her lip for a second, and then looked at Mr. Wilter with slightly widened eyes. “Do our children go missing during the school day? Have you..noticed at any point where they just vanish?”

Mr. Wilter quickly shook his head. “No. I haven’t.”

“Are you absolutely sure?” Mrs. Tabootie asked. “Because if they did, we were hoping that you could tell us where to go...maybe that is where they were taken. Maybe someone figured out where they’ve been going...or maybe this has been going on for a while..” She paused. She wiped away a few more tears. “We know it’s a stretch. But...but we have no other leads.”

“I wish I could help. But I’m afraid I don’t know anything.” Mr. Wilter said, shaking his head sadly. “If I did, I would be sure to tell you. I’m as confused about all this as you are.”

There was a moment of silence. The parents stared at them. They looked a little disappointed. But he noticed something else. There was more behind their expressions than just sadness. He couldn’t quite pinpoint what it was. But whatever it was, it was making him feel uncomfortable. There was just something about the way they were looking at him... What did more did they want to ask of him?

“Why don’t we believe you?” Mr. Tabootie finally said, staring intently at Mr. Wilter.

Mr. Wilter’s eyes went wide at this. He looked at each parent. Though they were still sad, their focus was now solely on him. He tried to speak, but no words would come out.

“We spent some time together, grieving for our children. And in that time, we came to realize something. Something we hadn’t thought about before.” Mrs. Sanchez said.

Mrs. Tabootie spoke up next. She slowly folded up her arms. “And that was... well we remember a year and a half ago, Rudy went missing. And Penny. They were gone for many long hours. And from what we heard from one of your neighbors...so were you.” She took a step towards Mr. Wilter. “On top of that, our children were injured...and so were you. And you both got back at around the same time.”

“Just a coincidence.” Mr. Wilter said quickly. “Besides, we weren’t gone for the same reasons.”

“Oh really?” Mr. Tabootie said. He reached onto his pocket and pulled out a photograph. He showed it to Mr. Wilter. “Then how do you explain this? It was taken on the day our children went missing, as well as you.”

Mr. Wilter couldn’t believe it. It was a photograph of him driving his car. Ms. Saffron and Penny could clearly be seen in the car with him. He stared at the parents, their eyes practically screaming at him to give more information. He remained quiet, knowing he couldn’t tell them anything.

“We don’t think you were the real culrpit.” Mrs. Sanchez said quickly. “I hope you don’t think that we do.”

“But the guy who took that photograph said that you were heading towards the late Mr. Cosmo’s news station.” Mrs. Tabootie said. She paused, as if to allow that to sink in. “Why was that?”

“Well...I...” Mr. Wilter really had no answer for that. He felt his heart start to race, realizing how close the parents had gone. How much did they find out?

“You see, we’ve done a little investigating after we found out where our children were. We went to that building ourselves, and we did some looking around.” Mr. Tabootie said. His voice had become more stern, though not accusatory, tone. “And we found something...really interesting.”

Mr. Wilter flinched. “Oh? What did you find?”

“Some video logs left behind by Mr. Cosmo.”

Mr. Wilter felt his heart start to race faster. Oh no...was it possible that they... He thought the information was all destroyed. Were there a few functional computers left? How much information did Mr. Cosmo leave behind?

“So let me ask you one thing, Mr. Wilter.” Mr. Tabootie said.

Mrs. Sanchez said, “And please, tell us what you know.”

Mr. Wilter looked up as Mr. Tabootie got closer. The man gripped his shoulders, holding him tightly. Mr. Wilter stared into his eyes, feeling very apprehensive. He dreaded what the next thing that came out of the father’s mouth was going to be.

And when he did say something, Mr. Wilter’s heart all but stopped.

“What is ChalkZone?”


	31. You Will Know Pain

“Watch out, queenie!” Snap cried. He jumped into the air and pushed Rapsheeba out of the way as a red hot laser shot the space she once stood in.

Rapsheeba barely had time to glance at the burnt area before shouting, “Thanks! I just hope we can keep up the pace!”

The two zoners ran across the landscape. Several zoners watched in astonishment and horror as the two were chased by basketballs. Of all the things...basketballs. Yeah, it sounded crazy. Even Snap would admit it was farfetched. But any zoner watching could tell, if he said anything about this, that he’d be speaking the truth.

Snap had not expected this kind of deathtrap. He would have thought something like an explosion or another use of lava or poisonous gas or something. They were in a building, all that confined space. He was surprised Bardot didn’t take advantage of that. And he felt grateful that he didn’t seize the opportunity to do something much worse.

But he was still shocked when the deathtrap was sprung. As the timer activated midway through their basketball game, the ball they were using started to glow. Then it shifted, sprouting mechanical wings and a long stinger. It began to go after them, trying to jab its stinger into them. Snap and Rapsheeba fought back as best as they could, knocking it into the ground and breaking it. But right after they did that, the other basketballs on the rack all activated, all sprouting wings and stingers. Unlike the first one, these were equipped with lasers, and they didn’t hesitate to use them.

Unable to fight back effectively and both suffering a couple of shots to their arms and back, Snap and Rapsheeba started to flee. Snap managed to grab the card for the next game before they exited the building. He had a feeling that there would be witnesses to them being chased, but right now, all he was focused on was getting as far away from this place as possible.

Relentlessly, the mechanical things chased after them. They blasted laser after laser, trying to strike them down. A few times they would catch up to them and try to ram them into the ground. The zoners managed to dodge these attacks, but they didn’t know how long they could keep it up.

It was a little easier moving along now that they both got something to eat. But it was just the bare minimum. Not much water, just enough to satisfy them for a short time, and only a little bit of food. Oh well, it was something at least. Now they had a little more energy they could work with, but they still had to be very careful.

They soon came to a crowd, a busy part with a lot of zoners. Snap widened his eyes. Rapsheeba was just as shocked. They looked at the mechanical things behind them. They couldn’t turn around now. They had no choice but to rush through. They pushed past the zoners, some of them accidentally knocked into the ground.

The zoners looked upset with the two, demanding to know what they were doing. But the two of them couldn’t stop, no matter how loud the zoners in the crowd cried out to them. They were immediately silenced as they spotted the mechanical basketballs and realized, with cold shudders, why Snap and Rapsheeba were running away. The zoners immediately screamed and began to run away, pushing against each other, trying to disperse. A few zoners ended up trampled on the ground, groaning in pain.

Then something happened that made Snap feel horrible. He had thought that Bardot programmed the bots to just go after him and Rapsheeba. He had been wrong...

The bots, apparently tired of chasing after the two, had started going after the crowd. They hounded the trampled zoners, taking advantage of their injuries, and started to blast them. A couple others pursued the smaller zoners trying to get away. The street was soon filled with cries of pain, zoners calling for help. The scene was horrific for Snap and Rapsheeba to see, let alone listen to, but they couldn’t stop to help, for three bots were still coming their way, pushing them further and further away from the crowd.

Snap hoped that the zoners there would be okay. He felt really bad for unintentionally leading the bots to them. He didn’t know that Bardot would be so low as to let the bots attack innocent zoners. The spikes were one thing. They were just that. Spikes. But these were robots. Clearly sentient ones. Did Bardot think it wasn’t necessary to program them to leave bystanders alone? Guess not.

The thought sickened Snap. So many zoners and humans were being hurt or even killed. And for what? This stupid experiment Bardot insists on doing on him. It wasn’t like the results would even justify the means at all. The only result would be how long he could take a beating. That was it. That wasn’t going to help Bardot with anything. It wasn’t going to make up for the pain and suffering he had caused. But it wasn’t like Bardot cared about that.

Soon, he and Rapsheeba found themselves running towards a tall building. Their eyes widened. It looked as though they were reaching a dead end. And behind them, the last three bots were coming at them, faster and faster.

“What do we do?!” Rapsheeba cried. “There’s no place to turn around here!”

She was right about that. At their sides were buildings that were pressed together, with no alleyways. They weren’t sure what kind of person would draw a street like this, unless they were environmentalists trying to keep everything tight and compact to avoid using so much space. But at the moment, it was going to be their death sentence. Having no choice, they could only run straight ahead.

None of the shops were open. The only direction they could go was forward. Snap wanted to try to rush towards one of the buildings to get it to open. But what would be the use? They all said ‘closed’ on them. And he doubted he could break the glass that easily. Even if he could, by the time he did, the bots would be upon them, blasting away with their laser stingers.

Then Snap got an idea. It wasn’t a particularly smart one, but it wasn’t like they had much of a choice. He looked over at Rapsheeba, touching her arm briefly as they ran next to each other.

“Head towards the wall! And on my signal, we both run to the side!” Snap told her.

“Are you sure?” Rapsheeba asked, eyeing the wall suspiciously. “What if we...?”

“Trust me!” Snap replied, staring intently at the wall. “Ready...”

They were ten feet in front of the wall. Rapsheeba looked behind her momentarily, a nervous look on her face. The bots kept shooting lasters at them.

“Set...”

Now five feet. The bots were almost upon them now. Rapsheeba now looked at Snap worriedly. She looked like she wanted to protest, but, seeing no other choice, she obligued.

“Go!”

As soon as he said that, the two of them were less than a foot in front of the wall. Maybe 10 inches at most. The two of them dodged to the side, Rapsheeba to the left and Snap to the right. They dove into the ground, landing in a thud. The bots, unable to make such a sharp turn in such a short period of time, smashed into the wall. There was a loud crunch as they hit the solid surface before they fell to the ground, robotic parts flying everywhere.

Rapsheeba and Snap stared at the debris, panting heavily. It was hard to believe, after being chased for a while by those things, they could finally take a moment and breathe. Their lungs felt like they were on fire, and they both desperately wanted something to drink. They had a little bit of water left, but they had to save it for much later. There were still four more games left to play.

The two barely had time to say anything when the radio activated. Snap growled. Now he would have to listen to more of what this monster had to say. Reluctantly, he answered it.

“Bardot...” He hissed into the radio.

“Snap.” Bardot replied, sounding eerily cheerful, almost forced. “I see you did well against my basketbots. Such a clever trick you pulled, tricking them into crashing into a wall like that.” Snap growled at his compliment. “But tell me something, Snap. How does it feel murdering three zoners?”

Rapsheeba’s eyes widened. “We didn’t murder them!”

“Oh no?” Bardot asked, sounding as innocent as he could.

Snap nodded his head and said, “All we did was jump out of the way!”

“And in doing so, you led them to their doom. They’re all smashed up against the wall, dead.” Bardot noted. “They were sentient, too. And I know you knew that, Snap White. If you hadn’t drove them into the wall, they’d still be alive.”

Snap growled, but did not reply.

“You accuse me of being a murderer. And yes I admit, I have taken lives before. I will not lie.” Bardot said. “But in the end, are you really that much different from me? You’ve taken lives as well. Three sentient zoners. Robots, but still zoners nonetheless. And you were about to eat three chocolate bunny babies years ago. They were sentient. And yet you were going to kill them anyway. Innocent little babies...”

Snap’s breath quickened and he felt his heart start to race. Intense emotion filled his chest. Who did this jerk think he was? Playing mind games with him? This was the same thing Mr. Cosmo tried to pull on Rudy over a year ago.

Bardot chuckled darkly. “I guess you are more like me than you are willing to admit.”

Something went off inside of Snap. He clutched the radio tightly, his eyes widening in anger. Rapsheeba looked at him worriedly and took a few steps back. “I am nothing like you!” With that, Snap, without thinking, threw the radio into the ground. It skidded across the floor and came to a step three feet away from him.

Snap seethed, staring at the radio with pure hatred etched on his face. He felt Rapsheeba touch his shoulders to try to calm him down. He ignored her. His focus was purely on the radio on the ground. There was a few sparks and crackles, and at first, he thought it was broken.

But then Bardot’s cold laughter came through, intensifying the hatred and rage Snap felt in his heart.

“Whoa there, take a chill pill. No need for such...animosity.” Bardot said.

“Screw you!” Snap snarled.

“Snap...” Rapsheeba said calmly. “Please settle down. This isn’t going to help anyone.”

“Yes, Snap. You should listen to your girlfriend there.” Bardot said mockingly. “You never know when your words will land your friends in danger.”

Snap’s eyes widened at this. His hands shook in anger. “What have you done to them now...?”

“Right now, they have been brought back to their holding chamber.” Bardot said. Snap was shocked by this. Brought back? What happened? “The two of them had decided to attempt an escape. It didn’t take us long to find them. They obviously had no idea where they were going. They will be punished very soon. And once we are done with them, they will not try to escape...not that they’ll even be able to walk afterwards...”

With that, the radio cut out.

Snap stood there, his body shaking. Not being able to walk...that brought back horrific memories. He remembered when he couldn’t walk for a while. And now, it seemed that his friends were going to suffer the same fate. No longer able to walk... He felt tears form in his eyes. No...please..not them...

Rapsheeba wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into a hug. “Shh..it’s okay. We’ll find them and everything will be all right...”

Snap wanted to believe her. He wanted to believe everything would be okay in the end. But how could he be certain? He..he didn’t even know what Bardot and Draow were going to do. What if they...what if they rip his friends’ legs off?

What then...?

sss

Skrawl entered Barney’s room, paying him another visit. He had left for a short time so the centipede could be treated. He was still on the bed, but now any new injury he had recieved was bandaged up. The legs that were broken were now covered in casts to keep them still. His wings were stitched up, though it was doubtful they’d ever be useful again. More bandages wrapped around his body, several of them covering up his body monitors.

Barney definitely looked better, more stable, than the last time he saw him. It was still hard to tell when he was awake or not, though. With his eyelids sealed shut, it always looks like he’s asleep when he’s laying down. The only reason he knew he was awake now was because part of his body was raised up and he had his head turned in his direction, as if to say ‘yeah I know you’re here’.

Skrawl recalled what else Barney had told him before he left him alone to be patched up. He had mentioned that King Mumbo Jumbo had helped him with his old injuries, bandaging them up. He had been forced to lie to his friend, telling him that he had been clumsy since he became blind. But, because of Bardot, he coudn’t allow Mumbo Jumbo to move in with him; he was fearful Bardot would try to attack him in his sleep.

The jellybean zoner wondered how suspicious Mumbo Jumbo had become in regards to his friend’s strange behavior. Being clumsy wasn’t a very good excuse for a year of injuries like these. Some of the wounds were so bad they would never fully heal right. One leg was permanently mangled and would never be very useful again. He did understand that becoming blind was a big change, but blind folk weren’t stupid and it sure as heck wouldn’t take years to adjust to blindness.

So yeah, the king had to have suspected something. He might have tried to get more information out of Barney. Due to Bardot’s threats, Barney had been forced to stay quiet. Skrawl had plans on visiting Mumbo Jumbo and telling him himself. He had to know about this. Maybe he could convince the king to stay with his friend. Skrawl had a feeling that Barney might be attacked again, so having a bodyguard around would be a good idea. And who better than his own friend, who happened to be a turtle, or tortoise as Barney would insist, whose shell would protect him from the hybrid zoner?

Skrawl had to know something more, though. If this hybrid zoner was part red chalk, then maybe there was something in the centipede’s database he could use. A way to subdue Bardot. He had never thought of this before. But maybe there was something that could be used to weaken Bardot, something that affects red chalk zoners. If he could just figure out what Mr. Cosmo used to create the red chalk...

“Hey, Barney?” Skrawl asked.

“What is it?” Barney replied. There was a bit more strength in his voice from before. He was definitely feeling a little better.

“I know you don’t to talk about Bardot, or giving out information in general. I know you already told me a lot, but..there’s still more I have to ask you.” Skrawl said. “Do you know anything about the red chalk? Do you know what Mr. Cosmo used to create it?”

Barney didn’t reply. The fear-filled look returned. Skrawl could tell he was being reminded of Bardot. Normally, he would be a bit more forceful, even a little hostile, to get answers. But with Barney, he thought it best to be more gentle with him. He had been through a lot already.

Still, he needed that information as soon as possible. He knew that more talking about Bardot and red chalk may not be what the centipede wanted to do, but it was still important. This information could save ChalkZone from this hybrid menace. And the only one who could give such advantageous information was the injured centipede laying on the hospital beds before him.

“I understand you are frightened. But you must tell me more.” Skrawl said, trying to reason with him. “This information could stop Bardot. Don’t you want to get back at the zoner who did all this to you? Don’t you want the zoner who had abused you for so long to be brought to justice?”

A few tears streamed down Barney’s face. Slowly, he nodded his head. “Y-Yes... I want him to leave me alone...”

“And he will if you tell me more. We can use the information against him. You can help us stop him.” Skrawl said. “After what you’ve been through, you deserve a chance to get back at this guy. So please...tell me.” Skrawl hoped that Barney would be more cooperative now. “What did Mr. Cosmo use to create the red chalk?”

Though Barney was still shaken up, he still responded, albeit with a shaky voice. “He..he used the inflatamice... the tiny vicous red bats...”

Skrawl’s eyes snapped wide open. “The ones that caused that one disease? Balloonemia or what?”

Barney nodded his head. “Yes.. Cosmo found out about them and used the black chalk to create more of them, as many as he wanted, and then ground their bodies up and used their dusty remains to create the red chalk. As you would imagine, it didn’t have the results Cosmo wanted.”

Skrawl couldn’t believe it. The red chalk was created from the inflatamice. Those vicious little red bites that attack anyone unprovoked. A sudden wave of realization hit him. That would explain why red chalk drawings were so evil. That explains why they would turn against even their own creators.

Barney continued, “Cosmo never bothered to figure out how to subdue the red chalk creations that he had unleashed, choosing instead to just erase them. But there is a way to stop red chalk drawings without having to kill them.”

“And what way would that be?” Skrawl asked.

“The purple chalk.” Barney replied.

Skrawl blinked at this. “Purple chalk?”

The centipede nodded. “Yes, the purple chalk. Anything drawn with it, if it touches a zoner of red chalk, it has a nullifying effect, calming them and even stripping them of some of their powers. I imagine if used on Bardot, he will lose his speed and venom capabilities.”

The purple chalk... So now they had a weapon they could use against Bardot. But the question was... was there even any still left in the Chalk Mine? And would they be able to get the purple chalk and locate Bardot in time to save Rudy, Penny, and Snap?

Skrawl knew there wasn’t much time to spare.

sss

Rudy screamed in pain as he was lifted off the ground. Draow’s jaws clamped over his right hand once more. He felt the sharp teeth tear into the makeshift bandage Penny had put on it. The pain was intense, unbearable. Tears of pain streamed down his face. He stared into Draow’s eyes pleadingly.

He looked down at Penny, who laid not far from him. She was pinned on the ground, Bardot laying across her so she can’t move. His claws pressed into her shoulders and he could see a little bit of blood coming out. She looked at him with a horrified expression. She really wanted to help him, but there was nothing she could do.

Rudy looked back at Draow. He let out a few whimpers. He had already tried pleading for mercy. But the bat wolf didn’t care. He felt himself being thrown into the ground. He let out a cry of pain as he was hit against the hard floor again and again. Then he was pressed down by Draow’s foot. The grip on his broken hand tightened. Then Draow started to bite down harder, and he realized, in fright, that Draow was going to rip his right hand off.

He attempted to struggle. He was unable to get free. He screamed loudly as Draow’s teeth started to cut into his hand, tearing into his flesh. He felt hot blood pour from the wound as veins and arteries were sliced apart. Draow started to twist his wrist, preparing to shatter it and cause his arm and hand to get a ‘divorce’. The pain intensifying, Rudy thrashed on the ground, kicking his legs wildly.

“No please! Don’t do it!” Penny cried, tears streaming down her face, staining it red. “Let him go! Please!”

Draow paused for a moment, only to glare at her, and then he went back to work twisting Rudy’s right hand. Rudy’s screams echoed off the walls of the room. The boy was hyperventilating in pain, his eyes wide open.

“He should have known better than to try to escape. And that goes for you, too.” Bardot said. There was no smile on his face this time. Just anger, a subdued rage. He was not happy that they tried to leave before his ‘game’ was over. “He will be punished. And don’t think you will get off that easily either.” His voice was filled with malice.

“Please let him go! It was...it was my idea to try to escape!” Penny pleaded. “Do what you want with me! Just please...don’t rip his hand off...please..” She closed her eyes and started to sob, her body shaking with emotion. “It was my fault...not his....please let him go...”

Bardot stared at her. He then turned his head towards Draow. By now, Draow was almost done twisting the wrist, and in seconds, he would rip it off completely. Bardot glanced down at Penny, a thoughtful expression mixing in with the anger. Then he lifted up his paw and waved it dismissingly.

“Let the boy go.” Bardot said.

Though disappointed, Draow obeyed, releasing Rudy. The boy breathed in sharply, pulling his right hand to his body, gently cradling it with his left arm. Bardot gestured for Draow to come over. The bat wolf slowly walked over to where Penny laid on the ground.

Though his mind was muggy from the pain, the world around him still swirling, Rudy was aware enough of what was going on. He kept whispering ‘no’ in a pained voice as he looked over at Penny. His eyes were wide, mixed with fear and pain. He tried to get up, but he was in too much agony from his twisted wrist. There was nothing he could do.

Rudy laid on the ground helplessly as Penny was pinned to the ground like she was before. Draow gripped her leg and started twisting it again. Penny screamed, struggling against the wolf’s grasp. Rudy’s body shook in horror as the leg was being pushed towards its breaking point just like before. And this time, there was nothing that would stop Draow from completing the task. Bardot wouldn’t speak up this time; he just stood there, watching, his cold glare practically piercing Penny.

Penny struggled and kicked her other leg, punching Draow with her hand, trying to get free. She begged and pleaded with them. Rudy wanted to speak up, but his voice was temporarily taken from him due to the pain in his wrist. If he tried to open his mouth, all that would come out were moans and cries of pain.

A second later and there was a loud crunch sound that reverberated around the room. Rudy’s eyes widened, his heart freezing, veins running cold. As that snap echoed in his mind, another sound came with it. A bloodcurdling scream from his best friend, her eyes opening up so wide it almost looked like they would fall out. Then, moments later, the pain was too much for Penny to handle and she collapsed on the ground in a heap.

Draow picked her up in his jaws and threw her towards Rudy. She hit the ground in a heavy thud. Rudy looked at her with a horrified expression, now able to see the extent of the damage. Her leg had been twisted completely in the opposite direction, her toes now facing the wrong direction. The leg did twisted back, but it looked very loose. The skin had been torn and he could see a bit of bone starting to peak out. Blood poured profusely from the bite mark wounds Draow inflicted on the leg.

Rudy hyperventilated, this time in utter horror at what he was seeing. No, Penny...no... Tears flowed down his face. He couldn’t believe it. He stared at her leg, his body shaking. Why her? What did she do to deserve this? Anger overwhelming him, he shot a glare at Bardot and Draow.

“Fucking monsters! Cowards! I’m going to...”

He didn’t have time to finish that sentence. Bardot rushed towards him. Rudy’s eyes snapped wide and he let out a scream of pain as Bardot slashed his claws against his already wounded side, inflicting even more damage to it. He fell to the side, writhing in pain.

Bardot glared down at him, baring his sharp teeth at the boy. “Watch your tongue, human! You and your girlfriend there brought this on yourself!” He glared at the boy with dilated pupils for a few seconds. Then the pupils returned to normal and he raised his head slowly, glaring at the boy with contempt. “May this be a lesson to you.”

Rudy glared hatefully at Bardot. Tears covered his face. He wanted to say something, but he was in too much pain.

Bardot turned his head to Draow. “Break his leg, too.”

Rudy felt Draow’s jaws clamp around his leg. The teeth crushed into it, blood pouring from the puncture wounds. Pain immediately radiated from the leg as he felt the bat wolf start to twist it. He was already so overwhelmed by pain, he could barely register this new pain. His wrist...his side....they were hurting him so badly. His head started to spin.

As he started to register the pain in his leg, spreading all throughout his limb, as he heard his leg start to give way, his world was darkening. Agony was pushing him into darkness, robbing him of his sense of reality. He tried to stay awake, but it was no use.

And as he lost consciousness, the last thing he heard was a resounding snap.


	32. Hopscotch On The Pillars

Pain...horrific pain... Blinding agony...

That was the first thing Penny was aware of when she woke up. Fluttering her eyes open, she immediately began to moan in pain. Her mind was a little muggy, but that only lasted a split second. The pain that shot through her body reminded her of what had happened. She felt intense pain from where her right leg was. When she tried to move it, she was instantly paralyzed by the pain, seething through her clenched teeth.

She realized she was laying on her stomach. She pushed herself up on her elbows. Her hair, messy and having some blood caked on it, splayed in front of her face. She used a finger to push her hair away, wincing when she accidentally grazed the gash on her head. Her eyes were barely open, almost completely shut from the pain. She looked around, the room coming into focus now. Her eyes shot open when she saw Rudy on the ground.

Unlike her, he was on his back. She could see his chest rise and fall unsteadily. Each breath was shaky. She wondered if it was from the pain... Yeah it had to be from the pain. She saw his leg. There were deep bite marks in the thigh. She could see nothing but redness from where the skin was torn up. The leg was twisted to the side, broken almost all the way to the hip. The leg rested at an odd angle, further away from the body than normal, cementing the fact that it was broken.

Rudy’s face was contorted, like he had wanted to scream when he fainted, but never got the chance to. He looked so...weak and helpless.. She wanted to do something for him. But in her state...what could she do? She couldn’t walk. She couldn’t move her leg without feeling so much agony.

But seeing Rudy like that...it made her heart ache. What had he done to deserve it? What had she done to deserve this either? Nothing... None of them asked for this to happen. And yet here they were...being tortured and starved to death. The lack of food and water was getting to her even worse now. She would love to sit back and eat one of her favorite meals that her mom cooks.

Her mom... Penny’s eyes welled up with tears. She hoped she would be okay. Her mother must be worried sick about her by now. She must be looking everywhere for her. And Rudy’s parents...they were surely going through the same thing. She knew they would do whatever it took to find them. Even if it means having to investigate themselves...

...which brought Penny to an uncomfortable realization. A crossroads, and she wasn’t sure which path was the right one. If their parents investigated long enough, if they poked their nose in enough places, then they might find out about ChalkZone... The thought was chilling. Penny had no idea how they would react. They could cut off access to ChalkZone, or help expose it, or see it as a threat and want it destroyed. There were so many things that could go wrong from them finding out.

But on the other hand, if they found out, and if they accepted ChalkZone and understood why they kept it a secret, that would be more burden lifted from them. She remembered how much of a relief it was when she and Rudy found out Mr. Wilter had known about ChalkZone this whole time and was just putting on an act to make it seem like he didn’t know. When they found out, it was much easier visiting ChalkZone during school hours, and now they had a new ally to discuss ChalkZone matters with.

If their parents accepted ChalkZone, then they no longer needed to hide it from them. No longer would they have to lie to their parents when they went off to visit. No longer would they have to feel guilty about staying late; their parents would know they were in ChalkZone. Maybe they could even bring their parents there. There was so much she wanted to show her mother. And Rudy had expressed the same longing; he, too, wanted to take his parents to all sorts of beautiful and unique places in ChalkZone that he felt his parents would love.

But the risk of what might happen if their parents don’t like ChalkZone was too great for them to take the risk. If their parents don’t want them going, they would do whatever it took to keep them separated, even going as far as taking away their chalkboards and chalk, cutting off any possible access point into the chalky world. Penny could only hope that, if their parents did find out, they would be understanding.

Penny attempted to shift herself on the ground. She accidentally brushed her leg along the hard floor. She let out a small cry of pain. Although she was scared to look, she still forced herself to glance at her leg and survey the damage that was dealt. She was horrified to see her leg had been horribly twisted and seemed to just dangle there, attached only by whatever skin and muscle hadn’t been ripped apart. Looking very carefully, she could see a bit of bone sticking out.

Unlike Rudy’s, her leg had been broken at the shin, not the thigh. Not that it really mattered. Her leg was completely useless now. Just a tiny movement sent shockwaves of pain, forcing her to freeze, tears escaping her eyes as she tried to ride out the pain.

She looked back at Rudy. Her eyes trailed along his leg once more. She couldn’t believe those bastards still hurt him, even after she pleaded with them not to. They would pay for this. Somehow, someway, they would both pay dearly for what they have done. She shifted her eyes to his other injuries. She could see his side wound, which looked even worse now. It looked like one of those monsters had raked their claws against his side, just to be sadistic. And his wrist...it looked so horrible. The bone in the wrist had been crushed, making it useless. If there was little hope before for his right hand to recover...now it seemed like a complete healing of that hand was an impossibility now...

She knew it was a bad idea. But she still felt like she had to. She began to crawl over towards Rudy. Each movement forward was like crawling across fiery, heated coals. Even using her good leg to try to keep some weight off her broken one, it was still impossible to move without crying out in pain. She was leaving behind a trail of blood, and that was when she realized her leg wound was still bleeding. Yet she paid little attention to that as her mind was focused on Rudy.

When she finally reached him, she positioned herself at his side. She stared at his tightly shut eyes, her lower lip quivering. She wondered if, even knocked out, he could feel the pain. She wished she could take away the pain somehow.

“Rudy....please...” She whispered to him. “Wake up...” There was no reply. She tried again, a little more desperate. “Come on...wake up...please...” A sharp pang spread in her heart when he still didn’t move. She reached over and gently shook him, careful to avoid his injuries. “Open your eyes, Rudy... If you stay asleep too long, you could go into a coma...please...wake up...wake up...”

His eyes shuddered. Penny looked at him, a sense of hope welling up inside of her. Slowly, his eyes opened up, and Penny silently rejoiced that he managed to wake up. He turned his head around. He looked up at Penny. He was confused at first, but a second later, pain had registered in his head, and he cried out. He tried to move, but Penny gently held him down.

“No, don’t move around too much. You’re badly wounded...” Penny said softly.

Rudy’s memory had came back quickly, as the next thing he said was, “So...so are you...” His eyes shifted and Penny could tell he was looking at her twisted leg. “I’m sorry...I couldn’t stop them...”

“Shhh...” Penny whispered. She reached over and touched his cheek gently. “It’s okay...none of this was your fault... Please don’t blame yourself, Rudy.”

Rudy’s eyes shifted up towards the ceiling. He looked deep in thought. Once in a while, he would wince from the pain. It seemed that he could manage it a little better so long as he didn’t move around too much. He turned his attention back to Penny. “I’m sure Snap is...almost here by now...”

A shuddered breath escaped Penny’s mouth. Rudy sounded so much weaker now. The pain was finally starting to get to him. Yet some hope still remained inside of him...as it did with her. One thing she would fight to keep until her dying breath...

...was the hope that Snap would find them in time.

“Yeah...I’m sure he is too...” Penny said. She gave Rudy a small smile. This only lasted for a second as a shockwave of pain rushed through her leg when she accidentally moved it. “I just...hope it’s soon...” She said, her teeth clenched tightly and eyes shut.

Rudy smiled the best he could through the pain. “I’m sure he will...”

Penny let it all sink in. They were both still hopeful that Snap would save them. They both tried their best to hold onto that hope. Yet, she realized, with an icy chill, that just sitting around hoping would not ensure their rescue. As the mental clock in her head ticked, she knew they were running out of time. They were growing weaker as each minute passed by, their bodies starved of food and dried from the lack of water.

And the injuries they just keep recieving...

They had lost a lot of blood already. Her mind was already aching, a side effect from the loss of too much blood. Their bodies would start shutting down soon as energy is not able to reach to the various parts of their body anymore. And as their bodies start to shut down, they would get worse and worse. And that’s not even getting started with infection. None of their wounds had been cleaned. Infection would or had already settled in. And with their bodies so weak...there wasn’t much to stop the infection.

They were indeed running out of time. They had very little time left. Snap didn’t have long left to find them. And even if he did find them with just barely enough time left, he’d still have to face Draow and Bardot. As much as Penny wanted to hope that they could still make it, a part of her was starting to realize that maybe...just maybe...they wouldn’t make it out this time...

The realization hit her hard. Suddenly, all the horrific things that happened to them came crashing in on her. It was too much to bear. Unable to stop herself, she started to sob. She pressed her head against Rudy’s, slinging her arm across his chest, doing a sort of half hug. Emotion had also overwhelmed Rudy for he, too, started to cry.

As the two teens cried, laying close to each other for comfort and reassurance, they both were thinking the same thing.

They both hoped that Snap would find them in time. And that, soon, this nightmare would be over.

sss

Snap and Rapsheeba leaned against an old tree as they looked at the note for the next game. It was a little longer than the other riddles. They both read it out loud together.

It read:

“Insanity seems to run throughout this world  
A story you should know was told  
You’ve been trapped here once before  
And it was your friend who had to endure  
To reveal a secret that wasn’t even there  
A new enemy was born that you had to bear  
An enemy that wouldn’t listen to reason  
An enemy that committed treason  
In this world, everything is failure and a success  
Bizzarre things here you will find in excess”

Just when he thought the riddles were becoming easier to understand, this one baffled him. He looked at Rapsheeba. She looked like she was having a hard time figuring it out. Far as he knew, this riddle involved something Rapsheeba wasn’t a part of. The remaining riddles, Snap guessed would be things Rapsheeba couldn’t help him with. Just like Bardot to make things harder for them.

He thought about the long riddle. He analyzed each line. They had to be telling him something. They were giving off hints of where the next area was. He stared at the card, rereading each line over and over again. His head was starting to hurt as he thought too hard. Unlike the other riddles, so far, no line here was jumping out of him. None of them were giving him an idea of what was being talked about here.

He started to panic a little. If he didn’t figure out this riddle soon, Rudy and Penny would be... He had to keep trying. He kept rereading the riddle. There had to be something he missed. Something he hadn’t even considered. But the more he read it, the more frustrated he became, and the harder it was to concentrate on figuring this out.

There had to be something he was missing, something he wasn’t considering. He rubbed his head, trying to get rid of the headache that was taking him over. Rapsheeba looked at him sympathetically. She wanted to help him, but it was clear she had no ideas herself.

Snap couldn’t give up. As hard as it was to figure this riddle out, he couldn’t give up. He had come so far already. After this, there was only three more games left to play. They were over halfway done. They could do it...they could do it... He glanced at the paper again, rereading each line carefully. Slowly and deliberately... Then something caught his eye at long last.

An enemy that wouldn’t listen to reason...an enemy that commited treason... There was one zoner Snap thought of that might fit that bill. There was Skrawl, but considering he changed sides, he had a feeling that wasn’t what Bardot was referring to. There was still another that fit that description. One that Snap hadn’t seen much of lately.

Craniac 4...

After that, everything else came like a lightning bolt in the back of his mind. Suddenly, the rest of the riddle started to make sense. Being trapped there before, yeah he and Penny were captured along with Rudy. But it was Rudy who ended up suffering, being interrogated by Craniac 3, though thankfully he wasn’t injured in the process. Things being a success and a failure...that describes the Future Dome in a nutshell. A lot of things there worked but kinda didn’t work.

A secret that wasn’t there, that must have been referring to how Craniac 3 thought there was a secret to using the magic chalk, no matter how much he was told that only a human could wield it. Treason..when Craniac 4 was created, he immediately trashed Craniac 3 rather than team up with him. And then he, too, wouldn’t listen to reason and tried to get Rudy’s ‘mater materializer’.

The Future Dome...that must be their next location. But it was raised above the ground. Just how were they going to get up there?

Snap turned to Rapsheeba. “Well...good news and bad news.”

Rapsheeba looked at him worriedly. “What is it?”

“The good news: I know what the riddle is talking about. Bad news: I have no idea how we are going to get there.” Snap said. He shifted his eyes skyward. “The next place is in the Future Dome.”

Rapsheeba blinked at him. Her eyes widened a little. “But that place floats high above the ground. How does Bardot think we can...?”

“Maybe he has provided us a way to get up there.” Snap said, his voice slightly bitter. “He wouldn’t want his little ‘game’ ruined, so he probably thought ahead, now that I think of it, and provided a form of transport we can use to get up there, into the ‘cereal bowl’ as Rudy had called it.” His mouth ticked slightly into a small smile.

“Cereal bowl?” Rapsheeba asked, looking confused.

“Rudy had a Dumb Dart in him.” Snap said. “And oh boy did it work a little too well...” Snap recalled how stupid Rudy got the longer he had the dart in him. As funny as Dumb Dart Rudy was, he was glad they never had to experience that again.

“Oh I see...” Rapsheeba stared out ahead. “So which way is that?”

“It’s this way.” Snap said. He began to walk towards the left. He waved his hand at Rapsheeba, gesturing her to follow. “Let’s hurry up and get there.”

sss

“What? What happened?!” King Mumbo Jumbo stared at Skrawl, his eyes wide in absolute horror.

Skrawl knew he was going to react like this. Why wouldn’t he? Barney was his best friend. When they were separated for so long, it had been hard on both of them. They missed each other so badly. Poor Barney even though his friend had died after all that time, and he blamed himself for it.

Since Master Tabootie had freed the king, that gave the long lost friends a lot of time to catch up and to spend some time together again. Skrawl had learned that Mumbo Jumbo had started to take care of Barney after he had gone blind, treating his injuries, but, thanks to Bardot, he was forced to believe that they were inflicted accidentally by Barney himself. And no matter what the king said, his friend never told a different story.

Being best friends for so long, Mumbo Jumbo had no reason to believe Barney would lie to him. He trusted his word, and did whatever he could to help him. He was clearly worried about how badly hurt Barney was getting. He kept an eye on him, but, from what Skrawl was told, it seemed any time he was away for a short time, he’d come back and find Barney injured again, sometimes rebreaking his legs or old wounds reopening. It was so bad that the king had suggested following Barney wherever he went, and was confused when Barney had turned it down.

And now, here stood Skrawl. He had just delivered to Mumbo Jumbo the truth of what was really going on. And just like he predicted, the tortoise didn’t take the news very well. In fact, he was horrified, his green skin having lost a couple shades of color.

“I...I knew something was wrong... but I...” Mumbo Jumbo stammered, his voice shaky. “I had no idea it was...something like that...”

Skrawl nodded his head. “It came as a shock to me, too. I had never known anyone to seek out Barney to...hurt him like that... And this abuse has been going on for over a year.” He shook his head. “Truly disgusting... At least he’s safe for now.”

“How is he...?” King Mumbo Jumbo asked, his eyes shimmering as tears started to form.

“Physically, he’s a wreck. He was found out in the jungle by one of my Beanie Boys, barely alive. I guess Bardot didn’t have a need for him anymore and tried to torture him to death.” Skrawl said. Mumbo Jumbo gasped at this. “Mentally, he’s not that well off. He’s very shaken up and terrified by what happened, and I don’t blame him. He doesn’t want to be left alone for long periods of time. He says he’s afraid that Bardot will come back to get him.”

That was a real concern Skrawl had for the centipede zoner. He did convince one of the doctors to stay in the room with Barney after explaining the issue. But he didn’t think that would be enough. He knew how close he and Mumbo Jumbo were, and the tortoise was a pretty strong zoner...

“I would like to take you to go see your friend.” Skrawl said, looking at the king sympathetically. “He needs you right now. You can stay with him and help him feel safe.”

Mumbo Jumbo nodded his head. He took in a shaky breath. The horrific news of his friend had affected him deeply. “Take me to him...” He said softly. A spark of anger flashed in his eyes. “And if I see Bardot....”

“I trust that you will make him regret ever laying a claw on your friend.” Skrawl said, reading the king’s mind.

“Yeah...” The tortoise zoner said, nodding his head. “You can bet on that.”

sss

“Welcome to the seventh game. For this, let us go back to a childhood favorite. A simple game of hopscotch...but beware. Things aren’t always as they seem. And if you aren’t careful, you may lose another.”

That was what the card had said. The last sentence terrified Snap. It was hinting, strongly, that in this game, he will lose Rapsheeba, and the remaining games, he’ll be completely on his own. He didn’t want Rapsheeba to suffer the same fate as Blocky. He would do whatever it took to ensure that Rapsheeba didn’t lose this ‘game’.

Hopscotch seemed like a too simple of a game. He thought Bardot could do better than that. But then his thoughts traveled to the first game. The scavenger hunt...and how easy the items were to get there... Snap’s eyes widened. What if this game also hid a very horrific and surprising deathtrap? Several of the deathtraps came from below. He was careful of where he stepped.

Getting into the Future Dome wasn’t too hard. Just like he had predicted, Bardot had left them a way inside. Not surprising. He wanted to continue the pain, the bastard...

The dome was still inhabited. He could still see many zoners living here walking around, enjoying their lives the best they could. But he didn’t spend a lot of time looking at them; his mind was focused in reaching the location the next game would take place in. Luckily, none of the zoners here really talked to him or Rapsheeba, too preoccupied with trying to work an invention or crashing into things due to malfunctioning devices.

In the very center of the dome was where they found the card. And not long after reading it, the ground shifted just a little, revealing square shaped indentions that raised up a tad. Lines quickly formed, soon taking the shape of a hopscotch board, looking much like what a kid would draw. This time here was no timer, but the eerie glow of the hopscotch board made Snap apprehensive about starting.

A small rock rolled against Snap’s foot. He knelt down and picked it up. He stared at Rapsheeba. “Are you ready to start this, queenie?”

She paused for a moment. Then she nodded. “Y-Yeah...”

With a flick of his wrist, Snap tossed the rock over. As it landed on a square, he went forward. It was hard with his bad leg, even worse since he couldn’t use his walking stick to play effectively. But he managed, albeit slowly, to complete the hopscotch all the way to the end. He gestured for Rapsheeba to follow him.

Rapsheeba hopped along, taking care not to touch the square with the rock in it. Soon, she made it to the other side. And now it was time to go back. Rapsheeba went first, and then Snap. He had to fight against the pain as he knelt down to grab the rock without touching the square, and he made it to the other side. Snap wasn’t sure how many times they’d have to do this before the deathtrap activated. But he had a feeling he would soon find out.

And he did.

When Rapsheeba tossed the rock and it landed on the dead center of the hopscotch board, something had activated. The whirring sound of machinery could be hard, things twisting and turning under their feet. Walls rose up all around them, blocking the bystander zoners from witnessing what was happening. The metallic ground rumbled and started to give way. With a scream, the two jumped onto the hopscotch board.

The hopscotch board began to break apart and separate, creating tall metal pillars. They each clung to one, barely enough room for them to stand on. They looked around, watching in horror as something began to fill the bottom of the floor up, going halfway. Something bubbling and clearly heated. It wasn’t lava; it was the wrong color. It was too clear.

Snap’s eyes widened in horror. It didn’t take him long to realize what the stuff was. It was acid... Chalk acid but still acid nonetheless. And it was slowly rising...

He looked at Rapsheeba, horror etched on his face as well as hers. They looked at the pillars. They did form an escape route, but they were still so far apart... It would take all their strength and physical prowess, whatever was left of it, to get out of this one. And as Snap stood up, he cried out in shock as a piece of the pillar he stood on broke apart, landing in the acid below him. The sizzline sound sent chills through his body, causing his body to tremble in fear.

He heard cracking all around him. Slow, deliberate cracking... He realized, in horror, that they had a time limit to get out of this thing.

He turned to Rapsheeba and cried, “Hop! Hop for your life!”


	33. Trapped Above The Acid

The acid below Snap and Rapsheeba bubbled menacingly. As it slowly crawled upwards, it was eating away at the pillars they stood on. As seconds passed, the metallic pillars were becoming more and more unstable. The only thing not affected were the walls that surrounded them. Snap wasn’t sure what they were made of, but he was glad the acid couldn’t seep through and harm innocent zoners.

Snap wasn’t sure if jumping from pillar to pillar was the best course of action. It seemed like the only logical thing to do. They couldn’t stand around. The pillars were becoming more and more unstable. They had to reach the other side, where the final pillar, looking more stable than the others, was pressed against the side. It was their only clear shot out of here. But jumping on the pillars seemed to irritate them, and cause them to break apart faster. Then again, just standing around was going to cause problems.

Seeing no choice, the two zoners proceeded to jump from pillar to pillar. A few pillars, they managed to reach without much difficulty. Landing was usually rough, but they managed to balance themselves before they fell down. They would wait for the other to come and help them stand on the pillar with them before they continued. They were in this together and they would do what they could to keep it that way.

They had a few scares where they would almost miss the pillars. They would wrap their hands around the pillar and skid to a stop. Hanging from such a precarious location was terrifying; one slip up and they would fall to their doom. And behind them, what was going on didn’t make them feel any better.

The pillars they had passed were starting to break apart. Huge chunks of metal plunged downward, splashing into the rising acid below them. The weight distribution caused the acid to rise up a tad faster each time something fell in it. That gave the two even less time to escape. They would quickly pull themselves up and continue jumping from platform to platform.

Snap had to wonder if this was the most dangerous deathtrap. It certainly seemed like it. While it didn’t involve lava like the golf course did, the acid was still quite dangerous. And it wasn’t like they had a lot of room to run. They were trapped on thin platforms with very little space to stand on. And they only had one direction they could go. Not to mention, they were completely surrounded by walls; the only way to get out of here was managing to climb high enough to get out. The acid eating away at the very ground they stood on was problematic; if they wasted too much time they would fall down and die in one of the most painful ways imaginable.

The acid would likely have the same effect on them as vinegar did on him. Snap shuddered at the horrific memory. Sometimes his feet still ache as he thought about the vinegar that Cosmo pushed his feet into. The seering, burning pain... And now it was going to happen all over again. As he glanced back down, his imagination got the better of him and he thought he could smell vinegar. He shook his head, realizing he was letting his imagination run wild. This wasn’t the time or place for that.

But he was not able to shake the feeling that, somehow, someway, Mr. Cosmo was taunting him from the grave. The acid reminded him so much of the vinegar, the very thing that he was going to be killed with. The stinging pain came back, clinging to his mind. He closed his eyes and shook his head again. No, he couldn’t let himself get distracted like that. Yet, he was unable to stop Cosmo’s haunting laughter to leave his head. No, not now...

“Snap!”

Snap realized that Rapsheeba had grabbed him and threw him aside. He sailed in the air and landed square on the next pillar. The thud from the fall knocked some of the air out of his lungs. He groaned and looked up just as Rapsheeba jumped over and grabbed onto the ledge with her hands.

Behind him, Snap heard the crack of metal falling apart. He realized, with a chilled heart, that the pillar he stood on had broken apart. He had been staring into space for so long that....if it weren’t for Rapsheeba...he would have...

His body shook at the realization of that. That meant that they couldn’t waste much time with these next pillars. There was little time to work with now. Already he could feel this pillar start to break apart. If they could keep jumping without interruption, they might be able to make it...

From pillar to pillar they jumped. They saw that there wasn’t many pillars left. Just a couple. They were getting close...

They screamed as the pillar they were standing on rapidly fell apart. They started to fall downwards, down towards the acid. Snap managed to grab onto the edge of the pillar. He eached down and grabbed Rapsheeba’s hand before she fell too far. The two froze there, Rapsheeba dangling several feet above the rising acid. Snap could feel this pillar break up, too, and he knew he had to hurry. He realized, in horror, that the acid was starting to rise even faster.

He started to climb upwards. It was hard climbing up without his walking stick. He no longer had that. It fell into the acid below was the ground underneath them broke apart. His leg was practically on fire. But his fear of the acid overrode the pain in his leg, at least for now. He pulled himself upwards more, keeping his grip on Rapsheeba, refusing to let go.

Soon, he reached the top of the pillar and pulled her over. The two of them stared at each other, panting heavily. Their eyes were wide in horror, both realizing just how close to death they had just been. But they didn’t have time to just sit there. They had to get moving. Wasting no time, they climbed to their feet and jumped onto the next pillar. Seconds later, the one that they were just one broke apart and the pieces fell into the acid below them. The sizzling and bubbling sounds chilled their hearts, making their bodies tremble in fear.

They jumped across two more pillars. And each one crumbled apart seconds later. They were running out of time. But they were almost to the end. Just a few more pillars and they would be home free. Well almost. Snap snarled mentally as he realized there were still three more games left to play. And after that, it was fighting off Draow and Bardot, and then getting Rudy and Penny help. It would be a while before any of them were ‘home free’.

“Look, Snap!” Rapsheeba cried. She pointed ahead. “We’re almost there!”

Indeed, she was right. They were almost there. So close...just a few more...

“Let’s go!” Snap shouted.

Working together, they jumped across the remaining pillars, going as fast as they could so they couldn’t fall into the acid below. They were so close to the end. They could practically taste their freedom out of this boxed in hell hole. And before they knew it, they were on the final two pillars...

....only for them to freeze in horrific realization. They hadn’t noticed it until they jumped onto the final pillar to see it. But now Snap knew why the note told them to be careful or else he’ll lose another.

“No...” Snap whispered, shaking his head in denial. Rapsheeba remained quiet, staring at the scene before her in horror.

The pillar had broken up in such a way that the only way for any of them to get over...was if one of them stayed behind and pushed them up. It was an impossibility for them to be able to reach over and pull the over over. That wasn’t possible. Snap realized, as a chill went up his spine, that he should have moved faster. If he had just kept going, instead of stopping and thinking about Mr. Cosmo, they could have made it before the pillar broke apart like this.

He glanced over at Rapsheeba. She realized the same thing he did. It was a thought neither of them wanted to think about. It was something they didn’t want to experience since Jacko’s maze. But it was something that they realized, deep down, they really didn’t have a choice.

The only way any of them would make it to the next game...

...was for another one to take the fall...

sss

Mr. Tabootie opened up the refrigerator door. He got out a large bottle of soda and poured himself a drink. After he took a few sips, he began to think of what happened recently. His thoughts were a little clouded, confusion settling in. But also anger. He had never been this upset with Mr. Wilter before. His blood wasn’t exactly at a boiling point, but it had gotten close to it.

He could hear his wife crying. She was in the living room, staring at the television. It wasn’t even turned on. He wished he could comfort her, but he had said all he could. After what they learned...her fears had grown even more. She, no..they all felt helpless about the situation. Mrs. Sanchez was with her, trying to comfort her, but she, too, was at a loss.

They had went to Mr. Cosmo’s old place and found a computer with a lot of video logs. They had sifted through them, wondering if there was any reason why Mr. Wilter was driving towards this place with Penny. There had to be a reason. Something about the whole thing seemed off. It didn’t help that the guy who took the picture, a police officer, had tried to arrest Mr. Wilter for speeding. But the teacher had clearly been in a hurry and evaded police. The officer never mentioned if they ever arrested Wilter afterwards, but that wasn’t what mattered to them at the moment.

Going through the video files, they found something that shocked them. Over and over again, Mr. Cosmo had talked about some place called ‘ChalkZone’. It reminded Mr. Tabootie of that Bouffant woman...and Raton too... They had both claimed to have seen a world made of chalk. And at first, Mr. Cosmo seemed like he was going to be another one of these loons.

But then the video logs became...disturbing...

A few of them, they could catch glimpses of what looked to be children’s drawings, but they were moving around like they were real. They were marching down the hallway behind Cosmo. The man never put any of them on screen directly, though, so it was hard to get a good look at any of them. They could barely make out any shapes. One of the few...they could have sworn it was a white bear of sorts.

More and more, the video logs talked about ChalkZone. Cosmo grew more and more insane as the video logs went on. He raved about how the ‘zoners’...Mr. Tabootie guessed that is what Cosmo named what appeared to be living drawings, would revolutionize humanity’s life. He talked about how they could be used as slaves to make every household task easier, be used as weapons, and what not. The whole thing was so disturbing that Mrs. Tabootie had wanted to turn the logs off. Mr. Cosmo was clearly a lunatic. Mr. Tabootie had never suspected that from a guy who was supposed to be a renouned reporter.

Then things had gotten personal. Very personal... They soon found video logs mentioning Rudy...and then Penny. The things Cosmo said about them, it was very unsettling. He had talked about breaking Rudy, forcing him to do what he said, and then talked about corrupting him, making him just like him. He said how Rudy had potential, but how he would always be a failure because no one knew of his heroics in this place called ChalkZone. And Penny... the man had talked about how he tried to have her killed off by his ‘right hand man’, whom he referred to as Draow. This man...he was a monster...

Suddenly, what happened to their children made sense. Mr. Tabootie, Mrs. Tabootie, and Mrs. Sanchez all realized, with cold horror running down their spines, what really happened to their children a year and a half ago. They had been captured by this crazy man...they had been harmed by him. It wasn’t some mugger who attacked Rudy. It had been Mr. Cosmo the whole time. He did that to him. And he had tried to bring Penny down.

They were in utter disbelief. Why...why would their kids lie to them about this? Why would they tell them one thing, when something else really happened? Why had they hidden this from them? They thought their kids knew they could trust them with anything. They were there to help them, to guide them through life. To know that their kids didn’t trust them with something like this...it was heartbreaking for them. There had to be a reason they didn’t tell them. There had to be.

That was when they sought out Mr. Wilter. When they found out he was with their kids on the day they were missing for so long, they knew that he had to know something. And from the way he reacted to their questions, how uncomfortable he was getting, it was clear he knew something. And they had done what they could to make him talk without being downright threatening about it.

But perhaps threatening would have yieled better results. Mr. Wilter had tried to dismiss ChalkZone as a ‘fantasy game’ that Mr. Cosmo was obsessed with and tried to say that he was just working on a movie and needed Rudy and Penny’s help. His story...they knew it was complete bogus. It contradicted the stories their children told them. The pieces of the puzzle didn’t add up.

Even though they had pointed it out to Mr. Wilter, even though they told him that it didn’t make sense, still the man would not budge. His voice was stammering, and they knew that he was indeed hiding something. There was something he was refusing to tell them. But no matter how much they asked, he would not truthfully answer their question on what ChalkZone was. He was dodging the question the best he could. He had even tried to change the subject more than once to get away from the ChalkZone topic.

Mr. Tabootie was angry at the man. Their children were in danger. If ChalkZone existed, if there was a way to get there, they had to know. That might be where their children were. They had no other leads. The police found no evidence of where they could be. And from the way Mr. Cosmo had spoken, Rudy and Penny had a strong connection with this ChalkZone place. They had to find out more about this place...They had to find a way in...somehow....

They may have found a way in if Mr. Wilter was more cooperative. Mr. Tabootie couldn’t tell if he really cared about their children or not. If he did, he would have told them about how to get into ChalkZone, and where this place was located at. Though he didn’t seem particularly cold as he spoke to them, and he did seem genuinely worried about their children...still...he should have told them the truth...

But he realized that they haven’t run out of options. Not yet. There was still one other person who could help them. Someone who had been ranting and raving about the ‘world of chalk’ for years. There was one person who might have the knowledge they need to find out more about ChalkZone and how to get into it.

Terry Bouffant...

He wasn’t thrilled about the idea of calling her. He thought she was a little crazy, and a little too obsessed with this ‘world of chalk’. But in this situation, her obsession is exactly what they needed. She must have a good amount of knowledge of this place. And she seemed so eager about exposing this chalky world that she wouldn’t hold back information from them. She had expressed how tired she was about people not listening to her. Well..now he, his wife, and Mrs. Sanchez wanted to listen to her.

Terry just might be the key to finding their children. Mr. Tabootie looked at the phone. Yes...he would make the phone call. He would call Terry over for a visit. And maybe she could, at last, provide them with some answers that they have been so desperately searching for.

Mr. Tabootie got up and reached for the phone. He dialed the number for the studio Ms. Bouffant worked for. He waited for someone to pick up. As he heard the click, and heard the person on the line speaking to him, Mr. Tabootie said, “Hello? My name is Joe Tabootie. Is Terry Bouffant available? I would like to speak to her on an..important matter.”

sss

King Mumbo Jumbo was in complete disbelief at the sight before him. He felt tears well up in his eyes. He knew his friend was bad off. He had tried to prepare himself as he opened the door. He told himself how horrible his friend was going to look. But nothing could have prepared him for what he saw. He never imagined it was going to be like this.

Barney laid on the multiple hospital beds, covered in bandages and casts. The injuries looked absolutely horrible, some even worse than the injuries he saw on him the past year. The same injuries that he had been told were just from ‘clumsiness’...

...clumsiness hadn’t done this... That thought burned into his head as his eyes scanned his friend’s body, looking at the various injuries that adorned his body. They had all been treated, thank goodness. But even with the bandages on, he could tell just how severe they were. He flinched visibly, wondering just how much pain his friend was in right now. He wished he could do something to take the pain away. And his friend’s expression...the fear...he could tell just how scared Barney had been...

Why hadn’t he seen this before? Why hadn’t he seen the signs? He was Barney’s friend, for pete’s sake...he should have known something like this was going on. More tears formed in his eyes as he choked back a sob. Guilt started to overwhelm the tortoise. If he had just been more persistant...if he had just done more investigating...he could have stopped this. He could have saved Barney from this horrific fate.

He had been told his friend was resting. With his eyes long gone, his eyelids forever sealed, swollen shut, there was no way Mumbo Jumbo could tell. He always looked asleep now, or sleep walking. But the heart monitor did support the claim that he was asleep. He decided not to disturb him. His friend needed his rest.

As he stared at his face, looking at those sealed eyes, Mumbo Jumbo’s lower lip quivered. He recalled what Barney had told him about that injury. He had told him that he had made a miscalculated step and wasn’t able to stop himself from ramming against a tree branch, gouging out his own eyes. But now, Mumbo Jumbo realized the truth. That isn’t what happened at all. What really happened was that his best friend had been assaulted by some evil zoner named Bardot...he had been purposely blinded.

King Mumbo Jumbo kicked himself mentally for not being able to see through that story. He wished he had paid more attention to how Barney spoke. If only he had paid more attention, if only he had heard the fear in his voice...he could have done something about it.

His hatred for Bardot had already gotten intense the moment he realized the sick zoner had been torturing his friend for a year. It was even more sickening when Skrawl told him that the torture was mostly just for ‘fun’; that was what Bardot had apparently said. Initially, the torture was just to make Barney spill the beans about Rudy and whatever else he wanted to know...but then when he came againd and again...he still tortured Barney even after he relinquished the information... This zoner was truly a monster.

And when Skrawl told Mumbo Jumbo about what else Bardot had done, such as break out a dangerous criminal, killed two of his wardens, and kidnap Rudy and Penny, the tortoise’s hatred had grown even more. Now, more than ever, he wanted to tear that bastard a new one and make him regret what he has done. If that monster dared to try to hurt his friend again....

King Mumbo Jumbo went up to his friend’s face. He put his hand gently on his cheek, minding the cut there. He gave a shaky smile. “It’s okay, Bardot...” He said in a soft voice, doing his best not to wake him. “Soon, everything will be all right. You’ll see...”

With that, King Mumbo Jumbo sat in a chair next to Barney. He leaned back, pressing his head against the wall. He stared at his friend, watching him breathe in and out slowly. If there was one thing he was not going to do again, it was leave his friend’s side. No, this time, he was going to stay with him the whole time. And if Bardot dares show his mug here, he would teach him a lesson he will never forget.


	34. What Can You Tell Us?

Terry stood in front of the Tabootie’s house. She stared at the door for a moment. Then she reached up and knocked on the door. A few seconds later, Mr. Tabootie answered the door, a forelorn look on his face.

“Hello, Ms. Bouffant.” Mr. Tabootie said sadly. He stepped aside and moved his arm out to the side, a gesture that clearly meant she could walk inside. “Come on in. My wife and her friend are in the kitchen.”

“All right then.” Terry wasn’t sure what else to say. She didn’t want to say quiet; that would have been rude.

She followed Mr. Tabootie into the kitchen. Sitting in the chairs, just like the man said, were a large woman she recognized as his wife and another woman whom she recognized as Penny’s mother. The two women were trying to console each other. Their faces were red with tears. She wondered how long they had been crying before she got here. Losing your children...not an easy thing to go through. She felt sorry for them.

Mr. Tabootie didn’t look much better. He, too, had been crying. Maybe not as much as his wife, but his face showed clear signs of constant tears. She saw him at least once wiping his nose and giving a sniffle. She couldn’t blame him or the women for being upset. Their children had been missing for over forty-eight hours now, with no signs of any evidence being gathered to find them. She had known worse cases, of children missing for much longer, but even just a day of not knowing where their children were was heartbreaking, and not an easy thing to deal with.

When Terry had gotten the phone call, she was in complete shock. She had been in the restroom washing her hands when she heard someone knock on the bathroom door. When she opened it, she found her boss standing there with the studio’s phone in his hand. He gave it to her and told her someone wanted to talk to her. This surprised her. Ever since the whole ‘world of chalk’ thing, hardly anyone called to speak to her directly about anything.

Then she found out it was Mr. Tabootie calling. She was confused, unsure of what to think. Why had he called? Maybe a new piece of evidence surfaced that he wanted her to report on? Hmm unlikely. If that were the case, the man would have contacted the police, and through there, she might have been chosen to go back to the house to report. This wasn’t how evidence was reported. So it had to be something else. But what? She couldn’t think of anything.

Even now, she still had no idea why she had been brought over. On the phone, all Mr. Tabootie said was that he wanted her to come over to meet with him, his wife, and Mrs. Sanchez. He didn’t say why exactly, just that he’d feel more comfortable talking about it in his own home.

Terry wanted to ask more about why he wanted her over, but realized she wasn’t going to get any answers over the phone. So she agreed to come over as soon as she could. She spoke to her boss to work something out, and he let her take an early leave. She packed up her things, got in her news van, and headed over to the Tabootie’s as quickly as possible.

And now here she stood in their kitchen. Mr. Tabootie had went over and pulled up a chair to the table, sitting next to his wife. He put a comforting hand over her shoulder, pulling her close. Mrs. Tabootie turned her head and pressed her cheek against his shoulders. Terry looked at them sympathetically.

Terry took the spare chair and pulled up to the table. She positioned herself so she was on the opposite die of the table, like she was the boss and these people were her clients. She spent a few silent moments staring at them, waiting for one of them to speak up. When no one did, she decided to break the silence.

“What is it you wanted me to come over for?” Terry asked. She tried her best not to sound too forceful. She knew this was a bad time for that. “I know you didn’t want me to come all this way unless it was really important.”

At first, she got no response. The parents looked at her, sad expressions plastered on their faces. They looked like they really wanted to tell or ask her something, but from the way they were looking at her, they seemed...worried. But why? It was almost as though what they wanted to ask...would make her laugh or something.

There was a sense of nervousness she was getting from these people. Not just worry and sorrow for the loss of their children. But apprehension. They were looking at her with a wanting expression. It made her feel like they believed she knew something they didn’t. A horrible thought crossed her mind. Did they think she was responsible for their children going missing? Sure, she didn’t like Rudy or Penny, but hurting them wasn’t high on her priority list, and was far removed from her mind.

But..no...they weren’t accusing her. Their expressions didn’t yield anything that suggested they blamed her for anything. And if they did think she did something, they would have reported her to police, not invite her over to the house. No, something else was going on.

Mr. Tabootie was the one who finally spoke up. “Ms. Bouffant...the reason we called you over here was...well..” He stammered over his own words. “We think we found something.”

So they had found something to report. Something about this seemed strange. Why would they call her over here into the house then? Why hadn’t they called the police? Or had they? She wasn’t psychic. Maybe they had called the police and they told them to...no even that didn’t make sense. She would have gotten the report from her boss and given the order to come over here. She wouldn’t have been called by Mr. Tabootie. That wasn’t the way things worked.

“I know it is strange to call you over here like this but...” Mr. Tabootie paused for a moment. “We...given what we found, we felt it was best to talk to you..in private. We know what kind of reputation you had for a time, so...”

Terry raised an eyebrow. Reputation? What reputation was he talking about? There was nothing she could think of except.... Her eyes widened a little at the realization. The fabled world of chalk she had been trying to report on for so long. Was this meeting about that?

No, it couldn’t be. It had to be a coincidence. No one had ever taken her world of chalk story seriously. In fact, the only ones who would believe her were Vinnie, who had been there himself, and Rudy and Penny, who did whatever they could to keep her and Vinnie from exposing ChalkZone.

“Let me cut to the chase.” Mrs. Sanchez said, cutting off whatever Mr. Tabootie was going to say. “We were wondering...if you could tell us anything about this ‘world of chalk’ you kept trying to report in the past. This ChalkZone.”

Terry was in complete shock. Were they being serious? Did they really want to sit down and listen to her blab on about that place? From the looks of it, they were being completely serious. They weren’t doing this to make fun of her. They weren’t doing it for a laugh. No, they were really serious about wanting to hear about ChalkZone. A part of Terry had never been happier.

“Sure but...why?” Terry asked, unsure of what else to say.

“We found some tapes left behind by Mr. Cosmo. He kept talking about this world of chalk. Then Reggie told us how our kids would disappear for extended periods of time...they’d disappear at home as well. The things Mr. Cosmo talked about...the way he talked about our kids...” Mr. Tabootie said. He paused, taking in an uneasy breath. “It was...”

“It was horrible. He was absolutely insane!” Mrs. Tabootie cried, her body shaking. “I’ll never be able to unhear those words, or unsee those eyes...”

Terry nodded her head. She had heard about Mr. Cosmo, and how he went crazy and killed Ms. Saffron. Or at least, that was the cover story Rudy and Penny came up with. Terry wasn’t as easily fooled, and she guessed that the murder was linked to ChalkZone. She was frustrated that the two kids wouldn’t give her any information, but then she had come to expect that from them. Just like Rudy and Penny to hide information even if said information could lead to proper justice and help keep others safe.

She had only met the man once. It wasn’t for very long, but in that brief moment, she knew something was off about him. He was giving off a weird vibe that she didn’t like. And the way he spoke to her, it wasn’t necessarily degrading, but he did act a little too high and mighty of himself. Like he could do no wrong.

A part of her wondered if these tapes were still in tact. Maybe she could use them for... Hmm, no. They probably wouldn’t work. She didn’t really think he’d have any video evidence of zoners, and even if there were, it could easily be dismissed as just an animation project. That was why she wanted to bring a newscaster down into ChalkZone so they can see for themselves that it really was real. With actual physical evidence, there was no way anyone would dismiss her as being crazy.

“We tried to talk to Mr. Wilter, but he...” Mr. Tabootie paused. He was rethinking his words. “He wasn’t able to provide any information.”

“We were hoping you could.” Mrs. Tabootie said, looking intently at the reporter. “We know how much you obsess over this ‘world of chalk’ thing, and, after all we found out... We wondering if it’s...if it’s really real...and if our children could be there.”

Terry looked at her, surprised. Mrs. Sanchez spoke up next, and Terry turned her head to look at her.

“Please tell us everything you know. What is...ChalkZone? What do you know about it?” Mrs. Sanchez asked. A few tears welled up in her eyes. “Please, you’re the only one who can help us. Please...we just want to find our children...”

Terry stared at the family. She was feeling mixed emotions. On the one hand, she was excited that someone finally believed her. They sounded really serious, too. They really wanted to know more about the world of chalk she and Vinnie tried to expose before. It was nice to finally talk to someone about that world and not be laughed or scoffed at. It was nice that, for once, someone was taking her seriously.

On the other, she knew how serious this was. Now wasn’t the time for her to gloat. Now wasn’t the time for her to toot her own horn. No, that would be inappropriate for now. Terry pushed aside her feelings of excitement. She could feel happy later, when lives weren’t on the line.

“Can you tell us anything?” Mr. Tabootie asked.

As he asked this, the parents looked at her expectantly. She could see their sorrowful expressions tinged with a bit of hope. She realized just how much they were relying on her now to find their children. For once, Terry felt important, like she could really make a difference, rather than just reporting the usual stuff or standing idly by.

She thought about showing them her evidence she had gathered but...that would ring all the wrong bells. She would come off as a stalker to them, and they might not accept her help again. Heck, they might think she was the one who kidnapped their children, or was working with that Teddison Cosmo fellow. No, she would keep that evidence a secret. It was for the best.

But that didn’t mean she still couldn’t help. She was no expert on ChalkZone, and she admitted there was a lot she didn’t know. She had hoped that Rudy and Penny would, eventually, turn around and give her information willingly. After all, they go to ChalkZone all the time; they were bound to be filled with knowledge on how that place worked and everything. But she had, long ago, accepted that they would never willingly tell her anything. Due to that, all the knowledge of ChalkZone she had was minimal. But she could still try to help.

Terry realized she could do more than just tell them about ChalkZone. She knew that she could just sit here, telling them what she knew. But there was something else she could do that was even better.

Terry slowly smiled at the parents. Not a triumphant or gleeful smile, but a sympathetic and reassuring one. “I’ve got a better idea. Instead of just telling you about the world of chalk... why don’t I take you there?”

Mr. Tabootie’s eyes widened at this. “You mean you can...”

Terry nodded her head. She looked at each of the parents, noticing the hopeful expressions grow more dominant on their faces. Sadness was still there, but now, even more strongly, was hope. “If you come with me, I can take you to ChalkZone. I have a way in. And from there, we can look for your children.”

The parents stared at Terry. Then one by one, they all smiled gratefully, a few tears escaping their eyes.

“Thank you...” Mrs. Tabootie said, relieved, wiping away a tear.

sss

Bardot smirked to himself as he traveled through the hospital. Their security wasn’t up to snuff. With no cameras to worry about, it was easy for him just to scale the walls. As of now, he was walking on the ceiling, avoiding all the motion detectors this place had installed. He was pretty much invisible to anyone working the security. And it wouldn’t be too hard to disable the sensors in the room he was headed to, leaving him plenty of time to do this.

He had left Draow in charge of Rudy and Penny while he was gone. This time, he made sure the bat wolf didn’t leave his post. He had threatened to rip out his eyes if he dared leave them alone for an extended period of time. The bat wolf, clearly frightened, at obligued.

It wasn’t like the threat was even necessary. With broken legs, Rudy and Penny wouldn’t go far. But it wasn’t about just efficiency. It was also about control. He had to keep a leash on that bat wolf, for the moment he turns against him, he was in trouble. Sure, he could bite him with his fangs to inject venom, but that was only if he managed to land the first blow. It wouldn’t take much for Draow to crush him in his jaws. He had to keep control over the beast.

Bardot wasn’t pleased with the recent turn of events. Looking at one of his cameras, he began to suspect that Skrawl really was sticking his nose where it didn’t belong. He was getting a little too close to discovering everything that was going on, and no doubt he was going to send his Beanie Boys to look for Rudy and Penny.

On top of that, he had found out that he brought Barney to the hospital. There were some cameras he did try to watch, but they had gotten corrupted, so a lot of important information of what else happened, he didn’t have access to. But what he did know was that Barney had told Skrawl about what had happened, and he was certain Barney even told Skrawl his weakness against the purple chalk, which was so rare that even Biclops wasn’t sure if it really existed.

Bardot’s lips curled back into a snarl. He was not happy at all. Barney was supposed to be dead. He knew that pathetic insect was going to do something to ruin his plans. He should have gotten rid of him a long time ago. He should have ripped out his throat, rather than just beat him like he had. He should have snapped his neck, tore his stomach open, something to ensure the centipede would die before he got any help.

Well now he was going to correct this little oversight. The bug was in this hospital, injured and banged up. He would be too weak to fight back. He would be easy to pick off. All it would take is a single bite from his fangs...and then it would all be over. He would be finished with Barney in just a few minutes. Just bite and run. The people in this hospital wouldn’t be able to save him. They didn’t have enough knowledge to create an antidote. And after this, he could go after Skrawl.

Bardot soon found the centipede’s room. He pushed it open slowly, being as quiet as he could. He stared at Barney laying on the beds, and shut the door behind him. Barney shifted his head a little, but otherwise made no reaction. He was awake. Bardot could tell. He had interacted with him enough while he had no eyes to know when he was asleep or not.

Bardot found a small switch on the side, which he knew controlled the sensors of this room. He pressed his claws against it and tore it off as quickly as he could, being as quiet as he could about it. Only after he knew that the sensors of this room were deactivated did he make his next move.

Bardot slowly crept towards the bed. He was being as quiet as he could. There was no one else in this room. None that he could see. He smiled evilly as he got closer to the centipede. Oh how easy this was going to be. He froze when he made a slip up and accidentally kicked some piece of trash on the ground. And at this, he saw the centipede’s antennas stretch out. He had heard that.

“Who’s there?” Barney asked.

In response, Bardot let out a dark chuckle. He got the reaction he wanted. Barney immediately reacted in fear. His antennas curled up tightly. His long body started to tremble. He looked around, desperately trying to find the source of the sound. If he still had eyes, Bardot would imagine they’d be wide open in fear right about now.

Bardot jumped onto the beds. He slowly walked beside Barney, rubbing himself against the centipede to let him know he was there. His tail grazed along him, occassionally wrapping around a leg or his side. Then he finally reached Barney’s face. He reached down and pressed a claw against his cheek. He pushed the claw in a little, causing Barney to yelp in paw. He scraped along, giving Barney a cut to match the one on his other cheek.

“B-Bardot...” Barney whimpered. He turned his head towards Bardot. He couldn’t see him, but he knew he was there. “Wh-What do you w-want?”

“Your suffering...” Bardot hissed through his sharp teeth.

With that, he suddenly seized Barney’s throat with his claws. As he did so, Barney struggled. He grabbed his paw and tried to yank it off. The centipede had lost some of his strength from the year of abuse he had given him, and Bardot was easily able to keep a vice grip on him. As he started to yank him up, Bardot put his face close to Barney’s, making sure the zoner could feel his breath against him.

“Knowledge is power...” Bardot started to say mockingly. “Power is pain..”

He suddenly drove his claws into Barney’s side, slashing into a recently patched wound. Barney tried to let out a scream of pain, but he was silenced when Bardot kicked him in the stomach hard, knocking the wind out of him. He dragged Barney off the bed and slammed him into the ground as hard as he could. Barney let out a few groans and tried to get up. Bardot rushed over and swung out with his paw. His claws collided with Barney’s face, giving him three deep gashes that spread from his chin to his forehead.

The force knocked Barney to the side, causing his head to slam against the wall. Bardot stood there, smiling at the downed zoner. This was going to be such a satisfying kill. He moved over and stood on top of Barney, using his weight to hold him down. He pressed his claws deep into him, uncaring if he were cutting into healing wounds or not. He put his face close to Barney’s.

“Isn’t that right, Barney...?” Bardot whispered in a growly voice.

“N-No...please...” Barney begged. He gagged when Bardot gripped his neck again and held on tightly.

“You should have just stayed in the jungle, Barney...” Bardot growled softly. “It would have been a less painful death. But since you’re still breathing...” His pupils shrank a little, giving him a look of insanity. “I will just have to correct that!”

Barney struggled as Bardot opened his jaws. He positioned his fangs so they were over Barney’s shoulder. Heated venom starting to drip from the fangs, Bardot kept this position for a few moments, just savoring every second, glaring down gleefully at his victim. He struck downwards.

Suddenly, Bardot felt something grab him from behind. A large hand wrapped around his front limb. He was yanked up into the air so fast, he wasn’t able to react. Then another hand grabbed his other front limb, and he quickly realized who it was that pulled him off of Barney.

It was King Mumbo Jumbo.

The tortoise looked clearly enraged. His eyes were filled with hatred and anger. He glared at Bardot, holding him above his head a little, and, after two seconds of this, he let out a roar, which sounded ferocious even coming from a tortoise zoner. Bardot stared into the tortoise’s eyes, his own eyes widening and ears lowering as he realized what kind of trouble he was in. For the first time, he felt an emotion he’d never thought he’d be the one feeling.

Fear.

Mumbo Jumbo threw Bardot against the ground. Bardot tumbled across the ground a few times. He let out a small groan of pain. His shoulder started to hurt a little. That had taken the brunt of the impact. He looked back at the tortoise. He had taken a stance in front of his injured friend. He slammed a fist into an open palm. His eyes practically glowed as he glared down at the hybrid zoner.

“I have been waiting for you...” Mumbo Jumbo hissed. “I will make you sorry you ever set foot in here...” His voice was filled with anger and vengefulness. “And I will make you pay for what you did to my best friend.”

Bardot got up onto his feet. He brushed off the previous feeling of fear. What was he so worried about? Mumbo Jumbo was just some tortoise. What could he possibly do to him? An evil smile spread across his face. Looks like he was going to have some turtle soup later today. This old fool was going to be easy to take down.

“Bring it on...” Bardot growled as he made a dash towards Mumbo Jumbo.


	35. And Another One Falls

When Bardot got close enough, he tensed the muscles in his legs and jumped towards the king. His mouth split open wide. He noticed the turtle wasn’t moving. He didn’t understand why. Did he want to die? Oh well, at least he was surrendering. Makes things all the easier. Soon he would sink his venomous fangs into the turtle and it would all be over.

Mumbo Jumbo was just glaring at him, his hands on his sides. The old fool looked like he believed he could take him on. He had no idea what he was in for. He would be too slow to dodge this attack. And even if he miraculously did, Bardot could easily use his speed to run circles around him and try again. No way this turtle could jump out of the way in time.

Just before Bardot could knock the tortoise down, the king suddenly pulled himself inside his shell. Bardot’s eyes widened at this and ended up slamming against the shell itself. He attempted to bite down, but the shell was hard as bone. He could feel his fangs start to give way. There was no way he could break through it without shattering his fangs. He immediately let go and glared down at the shell.

“You’re not getting away from me that easily!” Bardot snarled, baring his sharp teeth in frustration.

Mumbo Jumbo popped his head out of his shell, putting his face close to Bardot’s. This took the hybrid zoner by surprise and he jerked his head back and lifted up a paw like he was ready to turn and run the other direction. Perhaps this tortoise isn’t as slow as he had believed.

“Try to get me, then!” After that, Mumbo Jumbo pulled his head back into his shell just as Bardot attempted to take a swipe at him.

Bardot growled lowly. This turtle was really asking for it. No one plays Bardot for a fool. No one. He began clawing and biting at the tortoise’s shell. He bit down on several places, attempting to gnaw off some chunks of the shell. He tried slashing his claws into it. He knew he could tear into metal contraptions with his claws, so why would a tortoise shell be any different? Again and again, he struck down on the shell, trying to cut it open.

But no matter how hard he bit, no matter how hard he struck, the shell just wouldn’t give way. He couldn’t even get a dent in the tortoise. Still, he wouldn’t give up. As he struck harder and harder, his frustration began to rise. His pupils dilated into dots. Drool and venom dripped from his mouth. He would make this old fool pay for interrupting his kill. He could hide in his shell, but he can’t stay in there forever.

Realizing that he wouldn’t be able to get to Mumbo Jumbo this way, Bardot tried a new strategy. He moved towards one of the openings where the turtle’s limbs came out of. He tried gnawing at it and attempted to reach in with his claws to slash into his flesh. He tried this with the other openings as well, trying in vain to cut into him. But the shell was too hard and he wasn’t able to get his claws in deep enough to do any damage.

Out of anger, he pushed the shell into the ground. By this time, his mind all but forgot Barney was there. He didn’t notice the centipede had backed far away from the battle, curled up in a corner. He didn’t realize he had a shot at taking him out quickly. Right now, his mind was focused on King Mumbo Jumbo.

He snapped his jaws wildly at the hole that contained King Mumbo Jumbo’s head. He struck it again and again. He opened his jaws as wide as he could and bit down on the hole. Being careful not to break his own fangs, he tried again to rip off a piece of shell so he could get access to skin and blood. All he needed was to insert his fangs into the turtle and it would all be over. This turtle would soon perish.

He reached down with his claws again. He pushed them into the hole, trying to slash at the king’s face. This went on for about a minute before he felt something clamp down on his wrist. Eyes opening very wide, Bardot let out a screech of pain. The fur on his tail poofed up and his ears and crest pricked straight up. The king kept his grip on his paw, biting down hard. Bardot struggled frantically to get free, using his remaining free limbs to push himself away. His tail wriggled wildly from side to side.

“Let...go...of...me!” Bardot demanded as he pulled himself back as hard as he could.

Surprisingly, Mumbo Jumbo obligued. With the sudden release of his paw, Bardot fell off of him and landed on his back. Mumbo Jumbo got up, standing above him. Bardot rolled out of the way as the king tried to slam his fist down. Bardot’s ears pricked as he heard the ground break and give way a little as the turtle struck it. There was a lot of muscle packed behind that slam.

Bardot immediately moved back, taking a defensive stance. Perhaps he had been too cocky. Perhaps Mumbo Jumbo was not going to be an easy prey item after all. Oh well, he did need the challenge. Someone who could at least put up a fight. He grinned evilly at the turtle. Despite his difficulties, Bardot still wasn’t backing down.

Bardot rushed towards the tortoise again. This time, he started to run around the king. Ah yes, his speed. This would do the zoner in. He ran around in circles around the king. Once in a while, he would strike, landing a blow on the king’s face or limbs. He did this for a while, never once slowing down. Each time he landed a blow, he could hear a grunt from the large tortoise. The blows were having some kind of effect on him. Good...

Then Bardot decided to end it. He began to run faster. He was using up a lot of his stamina doing this, but in the end, it was going to be worth it. He was going to muster up as much speed as he could and bodyslam Mumbo Jumbo. The force should be enough to create some kind of crack in his shell. All he needed is one crack, and the tortoise could go down. A crack would cause considerable pain and make it easier to fight against him.

But just as he was about to jump, something happened that made him realize how much of a mistake it was to use the same pattern in runing around this guy. He should have known that Mumbo Jumbo would figure out his pattern and know when to make a move. Just as Bardot was going to make his move, Mumbo Jumbo reacted first. Bardot’s eyes went wide as he felt a thick, clawed hand grasp his neck tightly and yank him into the air.

Bardot struggled wildly in the air, kicking his legs frantically. He tried to dig his claws into the turtle’s arm. His eyes widened as he realized that his skin was too thick to penetrate so easily. Bardot could slice through metal, but the king’s thick skin was too soft; he couldn’t get a grip on it quite like he could with a metal device. The king held him up in the air, away from his body, glaring at him.

A cold chill went up Bardot’s spine, a sensation so uncomfortable, so unfamiliar. He realized, as dread started to spread through his body, that he had made a terrible mistake. His venom and speed were of no use against this zoner. He couldn’t even bite through his thick skin. He couldn’t do anything against him, not by himself. And now he, the weaker zoner, was in the hands of this tortoise, and he couldn’t escape.

In short, he was in big trouble.

His heart started to race, his eyes widening in fear, and he started to struggle even more, trying desperately to get free. He stared down at the king, his teeth clenched, and clawed at his arm again in hopes of getting free. But the enraged tortoise just tightened his grip, almost cutting off his air supply.

King Mumbo Jumbo reached down and grabbed his tail. He hoisted him up like he was just some catch of the day. Tightening his grip, he pulled outward hard. Bardot’s eyes widened and he grunted in pain, feeling his body being stretched roughly. Then King Mumbo Jumbo positioned him over his knee, and, without hesitation, slammed him down. Bardot let out a cry of pain, the force being more than what Rudy managed against him.

The king wasn’t finished with him yet. Releasing his grip on his tail for a moment, the king slammed his fist against Bardot’s back. Then he grabbed his tail again and lifted him up. He opened his jaws and bit down on Bardot’s back. Bardot’s tail poofed up and straightened out as he let out another scream. After the king was done tearing into his back, leaving behind a bloody bark, he let go of his neck and started to slam him into the ground.

Groaning in agony, Bardot tried to fight back. He twisted his body and tried to bite down on his hand. The thick skin prevented the fangs from sinking in. Mumbo Jumbo narrowed his eyes and struck down with his claws, cutting into Bardot’s shoulders, leaving behind three bloody marks. He picked up the yellow and red zoner again, one hand on his neck and one his tail like before. Mumbo Jumbo opened up his jaws and bit down on Bardot’s tail, near his tip. He gave a twist and there was a crack.

Bardot’s jaws opened up wide as he let out a howl of agony. The tortoise had just broken the tip of his tail. snapping it quite easily. His tail’s fur was so poofed up tightly, he wasn’t sure if it would ever go back down. He was pushed into the ground with great force, and his eyes snapped wide, another cry escaping him, as the turtle bit down on his left ear. The jaws sliced through the cartilage with ease. Stinging pain spread through his head as half of his ear was bitten clean off. Blood dripped rapidly from the wound as his ear twitched constantly in pain.

Mumbo Jumbo let go of his tail and held him up into the air. Bardot started down, his ears and crest folded down in fear. Mumbo Jumbo just snarled and threw him into the ground again, keeping his grip on his neck. He pulled back a fist and prepared to punch him.

“N-No! Please! Let me go!” Bardot begged, struggling to get free. “Please don’t hurt me anymore!”

King Mumbo Jumbo snarled in disgust. “After what you’ve been doing to my friend, you dare ask me for mercy? Why should I let you go?”

“I promise I won’t hurt you friend again!” Bardot’s tail swooshed wildly. “Just please let me go! I won’t come near Barney again! I promise!”

Mumbo Jumbo narrowed his eyes. He clearly didn’t believe the hybrid zoner. “Why should I trust you? Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t rip you apart.”

At this, Bardot’s heart pounded against his chest. His struggles increased, not that they were doing him any good. His body started to tremble in terror. His horrified eyes stared up at the king. Before this, Bardot never knew what real fear felt like. Now he knew exactly how his victims felt. He had gotten a taste of his own medicine. And he didn’t like it.

Realizing there was no way he was going to get out of the king’s grasp, Bardot laid still on the ground, minus the trembling. He let out a few low whimpers of fear and shut his eyes tightly. “Please...don’t hurt me...” He pleaded silently, awaiting for the king to make a blow.

Mumbo Jumbo glared angrily down at him, clearly upset that he dared to plea for mercy. But rather than finish the job, which he could quite easily, the king decided to show mercy, even though the hybrid clearly didn’t deserve it. He threw Bardot against the door, releasing his grip on him.

Bardot climbed up to his feet. He wobbled a little, the pain from his new injuries causing him to limp a little. His ears flattened against his head, as well as his crest, he stared at Mumbo Jumbo. His eyes widened in fear. His mouth was partially open, his lower jaw trembling. He watched as the king pointed his claw at the door.

“Get out.” Mumbo Jumbo demanded, his voice firm and cold. “And if I ever catch you near my friend again, I will rip out your eyes. And I clear?”

Shaking, Bardot nodded his head. He backed away slowly from the tortoise, his body low in self defense. His injured form trembled from both the pain and the fear he was experiencing. He kept his head low in submission and his tail tucked between his legs. He slowly moved towards the door, opening it up while not taking his eye off the king. Low whimpers escaped his throat.

As soon as the door opened, Mumbo Jumbo did a mock charge, his fist raised in the air. Bardot let out a cry of fear and rushed out as fast as he could, letting out terror-filled yips as he went, like a frightened dog. Soon, he was out of that hospital.

sss

“No...Rapsheeba..I won’t let you do it!” Snap protested. His eyes were wide in desperation. “There’s got to be another way!” He looked around the platform. “Maybe there’s...”

“Snap, listen to me.” Rapsheeba grasped the blue zoner by his shoulders. “There is no other way. Either you climb on my shoulders and you hoist yourself up, or we both die.” The ground beneath them trembled. “This platform isn’t going to hold out much longer.”

Tears formed in Snap’s eyes. He shook his head in denial. “No...”

Rapsheeba gave a small smile. “I know you don’t want to leave me behind. But you are going to have to, Snap. You must go find Rudy and Penny and rescue them. You can’t do that if you fall into the acid.” She glanced down at the rising acid. “We’re almost out of time, Snap. Please, just listen to me.”

Snap shook his head again. He didn’t want to do this. He had promised himself he wouldn’t let Rapsheeba fall like Blocky had. He wasn’t going to leave her behind. There just had to be another way around this. There just had to. Something that he was missing. Something that he wasn’t thinking of.

He didn’t want to go this alone. He..he needed her help. Just like he needed Blocky’s. He wasn’t sure if he could go this alone. There were still three more games... Could he really go through them without the help of his friends? He needed Rapsheeba by his side. He needed her help in the rest of the games. It was a big enough blow without Blocky. But losing Rapsheeba....it was a loss he didn’t want to bear. No, there had to be another way.

But Rapsheeba was persistant. She insisted there was no other way. And as the acid rose and the platform became more unstable, he knew they were running out of time. They couldn’t sit here all day and discuss this. They had to make a decision fast. And as much as Snap hated it admit it...Rapsheeba might be right. The only way any of them could survive was if one of them took the fall. And Rapsheeba bravely volunteered herself, offering to get him to safety so he could go find Rudy and Penny.

“Rapsheeba...” Snap whispered.

She touched his cheek gently. “Don’t worry about me. Just focus on saving our friends. I believe in you.”

With that, Rapsheeba wrapped her arms around Snap, hugging him. Slowly, Snap returned the hug. Tears streamed down his face as he whimpered. This was it. This was really it. He was going to lose Rapsheeba, too. There was just..no way around it. She was right. It was either this or they both fall.

Rapsheeba positioned herself, putting her hands against the metal surface. She lowered herself a little so Snap could climb on. As the small blue zoner got on her shoulders, Rapsheeba hoisted herself up, standing on her tip toes. Snap reached up towards the edge of the higher platform. It took a lot of effort, but he managed to grab on. Rapsheeba grabbed his feet and gave him a push, managing to get him over the edge.

Snap laid on the higher ledge for a few moments. He took a moment to realize what this meant. The game was almost over...and Rapsheeba would be taken away from him. He crawled over towards the edge and looked over. Rapsheeba stared at him, a tearful smile on her face. She was too far down for him to reach, even if she jumped up to try to grab his hand.

Then, suddenly, the ground beneat Rapsheeba gave way. Snap’s eyes opened wide in horror.

“Rapsheeba! No!” He cried, reaching his hand out towards her as if he could reach her.

He watched as Rapsheeba screamed, falling down towards the acid below. In seconds, she was going to go right in it and die a slow and painful death. His eyes watered and his lips quivered. No, she couldn’t die. Please..no..

As if someone decided to grant his wish...and his nightmare all at once, the shadow of Draow casted over them. The bat wolf dove down, easily avoiding the falling debris. He reached down with his feet. His talons wrapped around Rapsheeba’s body. In an instant, Draow then flew upwards. He flew high into the air, squeezing Rapsheeba tightly in his talons.

Snap’s breath quickened as he watched Rapsheeba be carried away. Just like how Blocky was... He knew that, while she was saved from the acid, she wasn’t out of the woods yet. He knew, as Draow disappeared into the horizon, that she was being taken to hell, more or less. She would be locked up by Draow and Bardot, and she could easily be subjected to the same torture his human friends were enduring.

The idea of more of his friends suffering caused Snap’s body to tremble in intense emotion. Tears poured from his eyes. He spent a few seconds on the pillar letting out a few sobs. This was all too much for him to handle. He couldn’t believe it. Now he was all alone. His closest friends...all being held prisoner by those monsters... And he had no idea if he would ever see any of them again.

Rudy...Penny...Rapsheeba...Blocky... He was the only one left. And if he failed, then they would all die...

Suddenly the pillar he was on started to crumble apart. Snap let out a scream. He immediately jumped towards the rim of the wall. He grabbed on and held on tightly. The acid rose up faster now. He struggled to get over the edge. His feet kept slipping, unable to get a grip.

“Come on...come on...” Snap whimpered, trying as hard as he could to hoist himself over.

He looked down and let out a scream of fear. The acid was only five feet away from his dangling feet. And as each second past, the acid rose by a quarter of a foot. He pushed his feet against the wall, trying to get traction. He pulled himself up as hard as he could. Soon the acid was almost touching his feet. He could practically feel the burns already.

He finally managed to get over the edge. But not before the acid touched the very tip of his left foot. He let out a scream of pain as the front was badly burned. He pulled himself over the edge and landed on a small platform that jetted out from the side. He laid there for a few moments, ignoring the confused zoners down below that hadn’t vacated the area yet. He didn’t see them pointing up at him and murmuring to each other. The only thing he was aware of was the stinging pain in his foot.

Snap looked at it and winced. Only a small portion of the front was burned, but it was still very painful. The skin took on a deep red shade, and a little bit of blood dripped from the wound. He touched it lightly and reeled back in pain instantly. He seethed in agony. The pain...it was just like he had felt when Mr. Cosmo had...

Before Snap could think more on that, he heard a low rumble that shook the ground. He looked at the acid, which had reached the top by now. He screamed and looked away, expecting it to spill over. But instead, the acid just stopped. Then, unexpectantly, the acid started to lower back down again.

Snap was confused. Bardot didn’t have any qualms about hurting innocents. He let the robot basketballs shoot innocent zoners. So why would he stop the acid from overflowing? That didn’t seem like something he would do...

Snap climbed down the side of the walls, using the platforms to lower himself. As he got lower, the acid drained more and more. He wondered what was causing it. It couldn’t have been Bardot. He would have just let the acid overflow. Then he wondered if someone in the Future Dome had done anything. He looked all around, but found no one that looked like they would have known how to stop the acid.

Then, just as he reached the bottom, a familiar shape came into view. Out of the corner of his eyes, he spotted someone approaching him. Snap realized that this was the zoner who had stopped the acid. He didn’t know whether to thank the guy or run away from him.

“Rudy’s best friend...” The zoner said, his voice clearly robotic. “What are you doing here?”

Snap glared at the zoner. “Craniac 4...”


	36. Do I Need A Reason To Hurt You, Rudy?

When Bardot had returned to his base, adorning several injuries on his body, Rudy knew something had happened. Something had gone wrong, but for the first time, it wasn’t against him or his friends. It was against Bardot. Rudy wondered what could have happened to him. After all this time being tortured by him, it was surprising to see that it was Bardot, this time, who had been injured.

For a little while, Rudy was...well not amused, but satisfied. At least, Bardot got a taste of his own medicine. It was certainly icing on the cake when he saw Bardot looked visibly frightened and shaken up. He could have sworn, for a moment, Bardot’s tail had been between his legs. Yes, this was quite satisfying. A little bit of payback for all this monster had done to him and other living beings. Not that he believed it would stop Bardot from doing what he’s doing, but it was still some kind of payback.

Bardot had ordered Draow to go get Rapsheeba. Rudy’s satisfaction immediately went down the drain as he realized what that had meant. It means that now Rapsheeba was going to suffer at Bardot’s claws. And it also meant that Snap had to endure the final ‘games’ all alone.

A sense of dread welled up inside Rudy and Penny. What would happen if Snap wasn’t able to complete the final games alone? What if Bardot pulled something and one of the final games would require a second person? If he did that, then Snap would be unable to finish these ‘games’; he would become stuck on one game, and when time ran out..they were all doomed. Their hope for their friend still rang true, however, and they were confidend that, somehow, Snap would be able to get to them soon.

Before Draow left to fetch Raspheeba, he had tried asking what happened to Bardot. The hybrid zoner responded quite aggressively. He snarled at the bat wolf and chomped at him, missing his foot by a few inches. He was clearly not in the mood to talk. Whatever happened to him, it rubbed him the wrong way. It was as if his pride had been shattered when someone, whoever it was, had been able to injure him this badly.

Draow, not wanting to stay there much longer with Bardot that angry, had fled immediately, flapping his wings and taking off. This left the two teenagers alone with Bardot. And they were both visibly afraid. It was hard remaining defiant against this guy, with their injuries becoming infected and pain overwhelming them. It didn’t help that they never seen Bardot this angry before. They thought that, at any given moment, he would jump on them and inject venom into them.

But luckily for them, he didn’t. Bardot didn’t bother talking to them. He simply stood in the doorway, much like Draow had been, and sat on his haunches, much like a dog. Although injured, Bardot acted more or less like he wasn’t in any pain. Well most of the time. Sometimes Rudy or Penny would notice a quiver of pain from his torn ear or the tip of his tail. And when he walked, there was a noticeable limp.

This did raise some hope inside of them. If Bardot were injured like this, then he wouldn’t be able to fight at full capacity when Snap arrived. He was likely still pretty fast, but with his foot injured like that, they both doubted he would be able to pick up the pace as well. He would be easier for Snap to fight now.

While that might seem like an unfair advantage, Rudy and Penny knew it wasn’t so. Snap was getting hurt as well. And Bardot’s whole plan seemed to be weakening Snap so he would be easier to take down. Now that Bardot is hurt, at least the playing fields are a little more even.

However, as satisfied as Rudy and Penny were with Bardot getting some taste of his own medicine, though they were happy Bardot was ignoring them for the time being, not even sparing them a glance, they were both uncomfortable with him being in the same room as them. The low growls he was uttering chilled them to the bone. Once in a while, he would strike the ground, slashing his claws against it in vain. They could see his body trembling a little in anger. It looked like the little zoner was about to explode.

Rudy and Penny felt unsafe. Even though Bardot hadn’t made a move towards them, his clearly hostile behavior terrified them. He had been so calm and calculating before. Still frightening, but now...it was much worse. He looked like he had gone feral. And in a state where he likely couldn’t control his actions as well, who knows what he was going to do?

It had been a little while now since Draow left. The bat wolf still hadn’t returned. They didn’t know how far away she was. They both silently wished he would return. If Bardot wanted to unleash his anger against another living being, they hoped it would be against Draow, who looked like he could handle the abuse better than them. So badly injured already, the last thing either of them needed was more injuries.

It didn’t help that they couldn’t walk anymore. Rudy was in so much pain that he had to remain on the ground. Penny could still sit up a little. But with her leg so badly damaged, it caused her too much pain to move around as much. Despite their captors’ word that Penny would be their main target, it seemed the most serious injuries were inflicted on Rudy. Perhaps it was because Draow blamed him the most for his master’s death and, despite Bardot’s orders to hurt Penny more, Draow couldn’t control his thirst for vengeance and focused on Rudy.

But either way, the biggest concern on their minds right now were their broken legs. It meant they were much more vulnerable now. Not that they weren’t before, but now it was so much more so. They wouldn’t be able to get away from their captors. No more escape attempts were possible. And if the two were to approach them, they could do little to back away.

This all reminded Rudy too much of Mr. Cosmo and what he had done to Snap. The memories came back to him, causing a shudder to go up his spine as the horrific reminder flooded his head. He remembered it all too clearly...

He remembered how, the first time Cosmo took him to see his friend, Snap was curled up in the middle of the cell, and how Cosmo walked in to get him. Snap had tried to get away, but wound up cornered. Then Mr. Cosmo grabbed him by his scarf and hoisted him up like it was nothing. Snap looked so scared, so frightened... And the second time around, it was even worse.

For that time, Cosmo had damaged his feet. And with both his feet badly burned, Snap was not able to get up and walk away. That time, when Mr. Cosmo approached, Snap was absolutely terrified, laying on the ground and silently wishing for the man to go away. He looked helpless, and those scared eyes locking onto his.... Rudy could still feel the pang in his heart.

And now, he and Penny were experiencing what Snap was. They were feeling the fear and helplessness their friend felt when being held prisoner by Mr. Cosmo. It was a horrible feeling, one that made them feel a little nauseous. And the more they felt it, the more sorry they felt for Snap when he had to endure being Mr. Cosmo’s ‘favorite’ prisoner. Nobody should have had to go through something like that, least of all their best friend. He hadn’t done anything to deserve such a fate.

A cold, terrifying thought entered Rudy’s mind. Mr. Cosmo had used Snap as bait of sorts. He had used his own friend against him. What if...what if Bardot planned to do the same with Snap? He hadn’t thought of it before, but there was a chance, a possibility, that when Snap arrived, he wouldn’t even be allowed to fight. He would would be subdued as Bardot and Draow threatened to kill Rudy and Penny, forcing him to surrender...

It was true that Bardot never mentioned such a thing. But..did that really matter? Bardot could still decieve without outright lying. He only told Snap that he would have to face the hybrid zoner and bat wolf. He did not say that he wouldn’t harm Rudy and Penny while doing so...

His thoughts were torn from this when he felt Penny touch his shoulder. He turned his head towards her. Her arm was still slung over his body, holding him close to her. She stared at him, her eyes wide in fear. He looked at her sympathetically, wishing there was a way he could calm her down.

Then she uttered something that took him by complete surprise. Something that hadn’t crossed his mind.

“What if our parents find us here...?” Penny asked. Her voice was an odd mixture of hope...and fear.

Rudy’s eyes widened. He hadn’t thought of that possibility. He was worried his parents would be captured. That, alone, was a terrifying thought. But the way Penny said that line...it wasn’t the simple fact of them being captured she was referring to. She was outright suggesting that their parents could be looking for them, and they could have found the portal Bardot used to get into the real world.

The thought was chilling, making Rudy shiver. During one of the conversations Bardot had with Draow, the hybrid zoner mentioned the zoner-usable blue chalk, which he used to create a portal. Rudy had no idea where the blue chalk was found, and it sounded like Bardot found it by mistake. It wasn’t certain if Bardot still had some blue chalk left or if he had used the rest of it creating these elaborate death traps and equipment.

“I mean, I’m sure they are looking for us.” Penny whispered, a pained edge to her voice. “What if they...?” She turned her gaze towards Bardot. Rudy noticed her lower lip quivering. “It’s bad enough that they would be putting themselves in danger...” He turned back to Rudy and said, “But what if they...?”

Rudy had a feeling he knew what Penny was getting at. “You mean...what if they try to do something drastic, like...keep us from coming here?”

Penny nodded her head. “Yeah. Or what if they tell other people about ChalkZone?” At this, Rudy’s eyes widened. “This is where those other people disappeared to. What if they...what if they tell others about this place?”

Rudy couldn’t believe he hadn’t thought of this before. He didn’t know how it hadn’t crossed his mind before. If their parents were kidnapped and taken here, or if they found this place on their own, there was still a very real problem that existed even if they all managed to get out okay.

What if their parents came to distrust ChalkZone so much...that they would help expose it? What if they were to ban them completely from the place?

The thought was scary. To think that they might not ever be allowed to come back to this place... Rudy didn’t want to think about it. And he could tell neither did Penny. They both wished for the best case scenario. That their parents never find out...or if they do come here, that they would be understanding and help hide ChalkZone. They were their parents after all. Wouldn’t they trust their own children when they tell them ChalkZone is harmless?

Then Rudy thought, with a shudder, that they might not believe them. If their parents found out, then a lot of their lies would be exposed. Their parents would learn about all the lies that they told, all the fibs they made, all for the sake of keeping this place a secret. They had been lying to their parents for so long... And while it was for a good cause, Rudy couldn’t imagine what that would feel like to their parents, for them to believe that their own kids didn’t trust them enough...

Their parents might feel betrayed and angry. Another dimension was a huge deal to keep secret. And it’s made worse by the fact that he and Penny had been hurt here before. They had been in so much danger, and yet they never told their parents any of it. They just lied to them, did whatever they could to cover up their injuries. And now it seemed, all that might be biting them back hard.

Rudy refused to let himself give into despair, though. He wanted to hold onto some hope. He wanted to believe their parents would either never find ChalkZone...or they would be understanding. He didn’t want to believe that it was all hopeless. He didn’t want to believe that, even if Bardot and Draow were defeated, ChalkZone would have to face a much bigger threat. Being exposed to the real world would be very damaging. The lives of everyone living here, compromised and exploited.

Rudy gave Penny the best smile he could in spite of his pain and worry. “I’m sure...it’ll work out for the best...” He winced, a pain shooting up his various injuries. Despite this, he kept smiling at Penny. “We just...have to hold onto hope...”

Tears flowing down her face, Penny hugged Rudy a little tighter. “I know. I’m still worried, though.”

“I’m sure that we will get out of this.” Rudy tried his best to sound hopeful.

Penny gave a smile of her own. A small, faint one. But a smile nonethelss. “As soon as Snap gets here...” Penny said in a soft voice. “We’ll be fine.”

Yes, Snap. He was their only chance now. He was their hope. And they had to hang onto that hope for as long as possible. No matter what Bardot or Draow did, the two refused to let go of their hopes for Snap. They still believed in him. Even though it was starting to seem hopeless, they wouldn’t let their faith in their friend waver.

And if there was one small comfort in all this, they still had each other. Being in each other’s company really helped. Rudy didn’t know how well he or Penny could manage against their captors mentally if they were separated. He bit his lip as he stared at Bardot. He wondered if Bardot really did plan on doing something like that to them soon. The thought frightened him. He...he didn’t want to be separated from his friend...

“I see you two are still holding onto some..lingering hope...”

Rudy and Penny sucked in a sharp breath at the sound of that voice. They looked over. Bardot’s head was turned to the side. One of his bright green eyes was staring at them. His torn ear was flicked in their direction, showing that he was listening to their every word.

“Well then...” Bardot slowly turned to face them. His tail moved slowly from side to side, like he was a cat and they were his prey. Rudy shuddered as he realized that is probably how this zoner saw them. “Perhaps it’s time I fixed it, don’t you think?”

The smile had come back. The same creepy smile they came to know and hate. The anger seemed to be mostly gone. But the tone of his voice as he spoke, little gestures like him digging his claws into the ground, suggested he was far angrier than he let on. He was doing a good job hiding most of it.

In response, Rudy and Penny felt their hearts beat faster and they held onto each other a little tighter. They were scared, but instead of whimpering in fear, they still showed some defiance against their captor. They didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of being completely dominant over them. They, despite their fear, were going to do whatever they could to give them a hard time.

Bardot smirked at their bravery. “I am impressed that you two still have some spirit in you after all this time. Usually my victims break down long before this. In fact..” He took a step towards them. He stared intently at Penny. He placed the tip of his claw against the human tooth still slung around his neck and tapped it a few times. “Your dear old daddy fell apart after just six hours of torture.”

At the mention of her father, Penny’s eyes went wide. For a moment, she was petrified with horror. Her eyes stared at the tooth, the same tooth she knew belonged to her father. Then her face contorted into anger. She clenched her teeth, glaring daggers at the hybrid zoner.

“Bastard....” Penny hissed. “You will pay for that...”

“Hmm... I see you sound so confident in that.” Bardot was amused. “I hate to burst your little happy bubble, deary...” He lifted up his uninjured paw and flexed his claws. He stared at the tips, glinting slightly in the light of the torches. “But life can be cruel sometimes.”

“Oh shut up will you?!” Rudy snarled.

At this, Bardot turned his head towards him. His eyes were slightly widened and his smile gone. Instead, he stared at the boy with an almost sense of curiosity. He let the boy continue.

“You think you can keep us down? Well you can try and try all you want! But we have been in terrifying situations before, and we always came out okay! And you want to know why? Because we’re a team! My friends and I, we will do whatever it takes to help each other! I can trust on their backup. I can trust that they will be by my side. And guess what? I don’t use fear or pain to motivate them!” Rudy shouted at the hybrid zoner. “The only reason Draow listens to you is because you threaten to hurt him if he doesn’t! If he wanted to, he could take you down very easily...and you know that, don’t you?”

Bardot narrowed his eyes a little. Then Penny spoke up.

“Yes, we are afraid of you. Yes, we are both injured and weak. But we are here for each other every step of the way. You can crush our bodies, but you can’t crush our spirit! Not completely!” Penny told him. As she spoke, she subconsciously pulled Rudy even closer to her. “You are so confident that you are going to win, so confident that everything will go your way...but judging from those injuries, you aren’t invincible, are you? In the end, you are just a bully who uses intimidation to get his way. You...you are the one who is truly pathetic!”

Bardot’s ears flattened a little as Penny said that. He growled softly, but didn’t make a move towards the two teenagers. Whether or not he was going to attack them was anyone’s guess, for the reason Bardot didn’t do anything was because footsteps could be heard in the tunnels. Draow had returned.

Draow walked into the room. He folded his wings against his side like a bird, and then walked over to where Bardot was. He stopped in front of the hybrid zoner. His teal eyes did not look in Rudy or Penny’s direction.

“I have taken the singer zoner like you told me to.” Draow said. “She has been placed in a holding cell. I kept her separated from the rectangular zoner like you ordered.”

Rudy and Penny stared at each other. They knew who Draow was talking about. Rapsheeba...they hoped she was okay. They weren’t sure if Draow had hurt her while he carried her over here.

“Good, good...” Bardot said, smiling at the winged wolf. “So now Snap is all on his own. I wonder how well he will do now that he doesn’t have anymore help.” A dark chuckle escaped his throat. “It will be most amusing watching this.”

Rudy growled at this. Penny narrowed her eyes in disgust. Bardot still saw Snap as a source of entertainment. He enjoyed watching the pain and suffering of others. It was like a game to him. Even after whoever managed to hurt him got him all banged up, Bardot’s willingness to hurt others hadn’t been damaged much, if at all. He was enjoying his time toying with lives, with them, and there was no sign of stopping any time soon.

Rudy silently wished that karma would strike back at the guy, and this time, leave a more impressive mark on him than a torn ear. Whatever karma would throw at him, Bardot would deserve it. He was a monster. He had gotten away with way too much. The fact that this guy considers everything he does acceptable and... ‘fun’...it was truly disgusting and make him and Penny feel sick to their stomachs. Whenever this guy finally pays for what he did, it could never be done too soon.

“Are you going to contact Snap?” Draow asked, staring towards the radio on the ground.

Bardot scratched his chin thoughtfully. Then he waved a dismissing paw and shook his head. “No, not yet. I want to have a little...” He turned his gaze towards Rudy and Penny. “...fun first...” A smile spread across his face.

Draow turned his cold, teal eyes towards the two. A small smile came onto his face. “What did you have in mind?”

The way Bardot was looking at them...Rudy didn’t like it. He did his best to put on a brave face. Penny did likewise.

Bardot said, “It seems their time here wasn’t...sufficient enough to break their spirits. They are still quite defiant. For when Snap arrives, I want them to be on their last foot, so to speak. My other victims gave in much sooner. But these too...they seem so hard to break.”

Rudy growled at this. Bardot was still determined to break their spirits. He wanted them to feel hopeless. The monster... He would not allow him that satisfaction. He and Penny could continue to defy him mentally. No matter how much pain they are in, as long as they had each other, they could endure practically anything this guy threw at them.

And it seemed Draow understood this as well. “Humans can be so...stubborn in groups. It is hard to coerce them into anything so long as they have the support of another.”

As much as Rudy and Penny hated Draow, they had to give him some credit for realizing that. Perhaps, with Draow having said that, Bardot would realize that his techniques wouldn’t work against them. Perhaps Bardot would stop trying to hard to crush their hopes.

But when Bardot’s eyes glinted, a cold chill ran up Rudy’s spine. A horrible fear swept through his body. There was another dangerous side effect of Bardot understanding this. He could use it to his advantage...

“So that has been my biggest blunder with these two.” Bardot said, a broad smile spreading across his muzzle. “My past victims, they were always...alone...”

Rudy felt his heart start to race.

“And since these two draw so much strength from each other...” Bardot licked his lips. “...maybe we should do something about that.”

“I couldn’t agree more.” Draow replied.

Rudy and Penny tightened their grip on each other. They watched as the two zoners began to approach them. Their minds filled with dread and they stared at each other, fear overtaking them. No, they would not allow themselves to be separated. They would put up a fight. Even in their weakened states, there was no way they would go down without a fight.

As the zoners got closer, taking their time just to torment them more, Rudy and Penny started shivering. Not from cold, though that was an issue here, but from fear. The fear of losing each other. They would constantly look back at each other, as if that was the last time they were going to see each other. Rudy didn’t know how he was going to be able to function without Penny by his side. He didn’t know how he was going to handle the torture without Penny there to reassure him.

And he knew Penny felt the same way. He knew that she drew strength from him as well. She loved him, and he loved her. They were very close friends. They needed each other. Bardot and Draow couldn’t do this to them. No they couldn’t... There had to be a way to stop them.

“Don’t do this...” Rudy spoke to the zoners, hoping that maybe, just maybe, they’ll bargain with him. “We...we won’t talk back anymore...Please don’t separate us.”

But his pleas fell on deaf ears. Draow now reached them. He reached down with his jaws and snagged Penny by her arm. He bit down hard, drawing blood and causing her to cry out in pain. Then she was lifted up. In desperation, Penny hung onto Rudy, dragging him a little with her.

“Rudy!” Penny cried out, her eyes wide.

“Penny!” Rudy tried to grab onto her arm with his left hand. But he could barely get a grasp.

Clearly annoyed by the boy hanging onto the girl, Draow narrowed his eyes and lifted up his foot. He pressed down on Rudy’s body and, using his weight as anchor, yanked Penny away, making her lose her grip on her friend. He then started to back away from the boy, holding Penny firmly in his jaws. Rudy reached out towards her, his eyes widened. Penny struggled to get free, her frightened eyes focused on her friend.

“No! Penny!” Rudy cried out. “Bring her back! Please! Penny!”

Rudy felt Bardot sling his front limb around his neck and press against his throat. Rudy was yanked back a little and he gagged. It wasn’t necessary to hold him in a headlock; it wasn’t like he could get up and rush towards Draow. He glared at Bardot before looking back at Penny.

“Rudy!” Penny called out to him. She banged her fists against Draow’s head, trying to force him to let go. He just snarled in response. “Let me go! Put me down!”

Tears now formed in Rudy’s eyes as well as Penny’s. They struggled to get back to each other. Rudy fought against the pain in his shattered limbs to get to her. Bardot kept him still, keeping him from moving even an inch towards his friend. Penny’s punches did little to hurt Draow and she was being taken further and further away from her friend.

When Draow had taken Penny halfway across the room, he turned around slowly. Penny jerked even harder, trying to pull her limb out of the monster’s mouth. She struggled to look at Rudy as she was being taken towards the door.

Tears streaming down her face, she called out to him. “Rudy!”

Rudy reached out towards her, wanting to pull her back. “Penny!”

Then, seconds later, Draow disappeared out of the door, carrying Penny with him. The last look the two of them saw of each other was one of fear, dread, and sadness. The wolf bat continued to walk down the halls and soon his foot falls could be heard no more. Penny’s cries and pleas for Rudy continued to echo on the tunnel walls, each one striking a chord in Rudy’s heart.

Rudy couldn’t believe it. His body trembled as his mind registered what happened. Penny...she was gone... She was truly gone. And he didn’t know if he’d ever see her again. He was all alone now. The feeling of loneliness started to settle in. He took in shaky breaths, unable to stop the tears from flowing down his face.

Then things got worse. Suddenly, he heard screams. Penny’s screams... They echoed off the walls of the tunnel. Again and again, he heard her scream. They were cries of agony. Draow...he was torturing her. She was being hurt and this time, Rudy couldn’t do anything to comfort her.

The realization filled him with enormous sadness...and anger. He turned his head to face Bardot, who had let go of him and moved around to the front of him. He sneered at the boy, looking sickeningly happy. This beast, was there no place too low for him to sink?

“Bring her back!” Rudy shouted at him. His eyes widened in anger. Tears continued to stream down his face. With his weak hand, he gripped Bardot by the skin of his neck and pulled on it a little. “Bring her back here, or I’ll...!”

Bardot simply stared at the boy, laughing. He barely paid attention to the hand gripping him. “You two need some time apart. A little privacy never hurt anyone.” Rudy growled at this. “But in the mean time...why don’t we pass the time? You see...I am still a little angry about my mishap earlier.”

“You mean when someone beat you up?” Rudy said, a sly smile on his face. “That would have been great to see.”

Bardot’s ears flattened in anger. “I assure you, it was a fluke and it will not happen again.” He put his face close to Rudy’s, his pupils slowly shrinking. Anger was coming back to the zoner’s mind. “And since I need a way to...vent my frustrations, and I can’t take it out on that old tortoise....”

Rudy realized that he was referring to King Mumbo Jumbo. So the old king was the one who did this to Bardot. How satisfying it is that Barney’s old friend would be the one who unleash a little karma on this monster. His thoughts were interrupted when he felt Bardot lightly trace his left cheek with his sharp claws.

“I think I will take it out on you.” Bardot said, his voice a little darker than usual. He pulled his paw back and struck down.

Rudy let out a scream as the claws raked across his face, placing deep gashes in the skin. The gashes bled swiftly, and soon the blood started to pour into his eyes a little. He let out a frightened, pained scream as he shut his eyes tightly. He lifted up his left hand and tried to wipe the blood away. But there was just too much.

Unable to see, Rudy’s heart started to race. Panic started to take him over. He didn’t know where Bardot was, or what he was about to do. He attempted to open up his eyes, but all he could see before he had to shut them from the pain was a wall of redness.

Then, without warning, Rudy felt Bardot’s jaws clamp on his shoulder, the same one Draow had already damaged. The fangs sank in deep. Rudy’s eyes grew big as he felt the burning venom injected into him. He let out cries and whimpers of pain as, even after Bardot released him, the venom started to burn his already damaged flesh. He tried to move away from the pain, but he felt Bardot holding him down.

“Why?” Rudy demanded, furrowing his eyebrows. He turned his head, trying to figure out where Bardot was. “Why are you doing this?”

Bardot’s answer sent chills down the boy’s spine. It confirmed what he and Penny had suspected all along. It confirmed what Bardot himself had been hinting this whole time.

“Do I need a reason to hurt you, Rudy?” Bardot’s voice came like ice. Foot steps...Bardot was circling him now. “How pitiful of you to believe that every action needs a cause. I don’t have such a worry. I do not care if my actions aren’t based on any logical reason. I do what I want for fun. That’s it. I need no reasons to hurt you or your girlfriend or Snap.”

Rudy felt Bardot’s hot breath against his ear. He shuddered as Bardot spoke into it.

“And know this. Even if I wasn’t going to eat you, even if I wasn’t testing Snap, I would still have hurt you. Life is but a game. And we are all players. The only thing that matters is winning the game.” Bardot hissed in a low whisper. “You are just a toy, Rudy. You are my play thing, and you are here to entertain me. Now...I want to hear you scream...”

With that, Bardot struck again. This time, his claws struck against Rudy’s right arm. He sliced his claws into the injured hand before going up slowly. He cut up Rudy’s arm, drawing blood. Rudy let out screams and squirmed frantically on the ground. This caused Bardot’s eyes to widen in insanity, smiling psychotically.

“Yes, that’s it! Scream for me!”

He continued cutting Rudy’s arm, digging his claws in very deeply, tearing into his flesh. Rudy’s screams continued to echo on the walls. They became intermixed with Bardot’s evil laughter.


	37. Alone

“Go away...” Snap muttered. He was not in the mood to be talking to this red-shaded robot. He had enough worries on his mind right now.

“Not until you tell me where Rudy Tabootie is!” Craniac 4 told him. He followed close behind Snap. “I still want that instant matter materializer! The boy still owes me answers!”

Snap growled lowly. He couldn’t believe, after all this time, this robot was still obsessed with the magic chalk. He still thought that, if he given the right instructions, that he could actually use it. Even after he was told so many times that only a human can use it, he still wouldn’t believe those words. He still would pursue this delusional quest in weaponizing the chalk for his own purposes, or whatever the heck he planned to do with it.

Right now, Snap just didn’t care about what Craniac 4 planned to do with the magic chalk. Craniac 4 was not of his concern. He needed to get back to the games. Going it alone was going to be hard, but he didn’t have much time to let all that sink in. Right now, he was being pursued by Craniac 4. No matter which way he went, the red robot would follow. Snap had a feeling he wasn’t going to stop following him even if he left the Future Dome, and that was going to be problematic. How would Bardot react?

The only good thing that happened from Craniac’s appearance was the fact that he was the one who deactivated the acid. He was worried that this was breaking the rules, but he did not get a call from Bardot yet. Maybe it was because he didn’t call for help. Craniac said he turned off the acid and reversed it so that it wouldn’t destroy the Future Dome. This was his home after all. If he let it be destroyed, well, all his work would be gone. He had no intentions on saving Snap, and no surprise. He had no idea he was even here.

Of course, Snap couldn’t tell him why he was here. No matter how much the robot demanded information from him, he refused to talk. Eventually Craniac stopped trying to get answers out of him in regards to why he was here. Even if Snap could tell him, he wouldn’t. Craniac was still considered an enemy. While Skrawl had turned over a new leaf, Craniac never made any strides in improving his relationship with Snap or his friends. It was none of this robot’s business why he was here, regardless if lives were at stake or not.

Craniac 4 had been following him for a while as he headed back the way he and Rapsheeba came in. He needed to get out of the dome. He had found the card for the next game, and he needed some place quiet to read it. It was too noisy in the dome right now. Some of the zoners realized what had been happening and were panicking. Their shouts made it hard for Snap to concentrate on his own thoughts.

In his other hand, he held the radio. He was certain Bardot was going to contact him pretty soon to give him ‘updates’, to put it mildly, maybe mock him on losing his only other team member. Snap swallowed as he thought about Rapsheeba. He could only hope that she would remain relatively unharmed. But knowing Bardot, she and Blocky would both recieve some injuries during their stay.

Then his thought shifted to his human friends, Rudy and Penny. He wondered how they were holding up. Badly hurt, he knew. He didn’t know if they suffered any more injuries. He didn’t know how bad off they were. Were they on death’s door? He shuddered. He hoped that wasn’t the case. If they were almost dead then...

...then he really had to hurry.

Snap hobbled along as fast as he could. It was hard to walk with nothing to assist him with. He hadn’t been able to find anything useful while walking through the Future Dome. It surprised him. Usually he would find something semi useful around here. But not this time, at least not something he was looking for.

The pain in his leg had increased. Bending it was such a difficult task. That alone sent shockwaves through his battered limb. The burned spot on his foot was making things even more difficult. Granted, at least it was just the tip so he could still use the foot; he just couldn’t put the entire foot down. Walking like this was making the back of his left foot ache, making it even harder to use his left leg. He wished he had hung on better to his walking stick. Moving slowly wasn’t something he could afford.

Once on the grassy ground below the dome, he could probably find something. There were some trees nearby. He could break off a branch and use it as a new walking stick. It wouldn’t take too long. Just a few minutes at most. Then he could continue on his quest to save his friends. He silently prayed that they were going to be okay, and he hoped that Bardot will get what he deserved in the end.

Suddenly, Craniac 4 increased his speed. He moved in front of Snap, forcing him to stop. Snap narrowed his eyes. This stubborn robot was going to be problematic. He needed to leave this ‘game’ area and continue on. But how can he when this delusional robot won’t stop following him and now is blocking his path?

Craniac 4 spread his arms out, a clear attempt to make himself a blockade to prevent Snap from continuing. “You will go no further!” Craniac declared. He pointed his claw in Snap’s direction. “Not until you assist me in getting the instant matter materializer! If you won’t help me, then I’ll just use you as my prisoner! Surely Rudy Tabootie will come to your aid, and then I...”

“Shut up!” Snap shouted at the robot. His patience with the robot had come to an end. He was so worried about his friends. He had so little time. And Craniac was going to make him run out of time at this rate. “How many times have we told you in the past? The ‘instant matter materializer’, as you call it, can only be used by a human! No amount of interrogation, examination, or information gathering is going to change that! Get that through your head, you delusional robot! Now, if you don’t mind, I need to get out of here.”

With that, Snap brushed back Craniac. The robot stared at Snap, his eyes widened a little at the outburst. He hadn’t been expecting it. And honestly, neither did Snap. He hadn’t planned on yelling at the robot like that. He was just so frustrated, he couldn’t help it. He had to save his friends. He couldn’t afford to waste time.

Surprisingly, Craniac 4 didn’t pursue him after that. Maybe what Snap said finally got through to him. No...there had to be another reason. And sure enough there was. Glancing back, Snap noticed Craniac 4 heading towards what looked like...Craniac 3? Snap stared in shock. What was he doing out? He wondered if, when setting up the death trap, Bardot decided to have a little fun and activated the older Craniac versions.

He watched as Craniac 3, who some how had a Dumb Dart stuck to him, Snap had no idea how that could have happened, constantly rammed himself against the wall. Craniac 4 shouted at him to stop and started to drag him away.

Snap wasn’t surprised that Craniac 4 abandoned him in favor of going after Craniac 3. He was adamant about keeping inferior technology kept locked away, and he had a bit of an ego on him. Like all the Craniacs, Craniac 4 prided himself in being the ‘latest and greatest’ and looked at the other Craniacs in contempt. He didn’t want them roaming about, ruining his image or whatever else they could do. So he kept them frozen, which Snap could call a fate worse than death. These were living beings that he was keeping frozen for all time.

But he didn’t focus much on that. As disgusting as Craniac 4 treated his own family, Bardot was still far worse, and he was the one he needed to focus on. He continued on his way, not sparing another glance at the Craniacs. He did hear a bit of their conversation as he continued walking away.

“I cannot believe you got out! And with a Dumb Dart attached as well! Just how you managed to capture Rudy Tabootie and friends escapes my circuitry. Come along, you failure, I need to put you back before you cause anymore trouble!”

“Why are you so red? Are you a lollipop? What flavor are you?”

“Ew no, get away from me! I must remove the Dumb Dart!”

“This isn’t a dart. It’s my hat. It’s going to rain soon! Why don’t you wear one too?”

“Wait, where did you get that Dumb Dart? No...stay back! Get away from me!”

Then Snap heard the whirling wheels of the two Craniacs as they began to pursue each other. His mouth ticked into a smile. It was pretty funny listening to the two of them banter like that. It did feel good doing something other than feeling anger and sadness. A little humor could brighten up any day, even if just a tad.

But the smile was gone pretty quickly as he found the way out, and got out of the Future Dome. Now that he was out of that place, away from that noise and commotion, he could look at the card and figure out where the next game was going to take place. He just hoped he could figure this out all on his own. It was going to be hard figuring out these riddles without the help of Blocky and Rapsheeba.

Before he could start reading the card, the radio buzzed. It was Bardot. Just the guy he was expecting to hear from.

Snap answered the radio. “Bardot. Why am I not surprised?”

Bardot chuckled. “I just came on to give you a quick heads up. I had a feeling you were going to lose your precious teammates at this point, so rest assured the remaining games will not require two people to complete. You should be able to finish them on your own.”

“How thoughtful of you...” Snap said sarcastically. He glared at the radio. Oh how he wished he were there right now. How he wished he could slam his fist against this guy’s jaws. “And what of my friends? What did you do to them?”

“Rapsheeba and Blocky are both placed in holding cells. Oh and you are going to love this part. The bars for their cells are the exact same types as the ones Mr. Cosmo used. You know...the electrified water bars.”

At this, Snap’s eyes widened in horror. The electrified water bars...he remembered those all too well. Mr. Cosmo used them to keep humans and chalk drawings at bay. He didn’t know how Bardot managed to mimic them in ChalkZone. One thing it did do was make him realize that Bardot might plan to have a lot more victims. If he went through all that trouble to get the electrified water bars working without damaging his base, he must have a use for them.

“You are quite well acquainted with them, aren’t you, Snappy boy?” Bardot sneered.

Snap growled. He was getting tired of Bardot calling him that. But the electrified water bars drew most of his attention. Bardot was correct. He had almost gotten really well acquainted with the electrified water bars on many occasions when he was Mr. Cosmo’s prisoner. He had been forced to walk close to them many times, getting almost close to touching them. The memory sent shivers down his spine. He sometimes had nightmares about that, where he ended up touching the bars and watched his hand and arm slowly disintigrate. The thought of that caused waves of dull pain to surge through his arm. Oh yes, even in the dream, it hurt...

“And as for your human friends...”

Snap shifted his gaze back to the radio. “What have you done to them?”

“I got tired of how strong their spirits were. You see, I needed them broken for when you came.” Bardot chuckled at this. Snap’s eyes widened. “So I separated them. I wonder how long they will last when they no longer have each other for support...”

“You...” Snap wasn’t sure how to respond to that. His mind swirled as memories of his capture with Mr. Cosmo flooded his mind. He had been alone during most of that time. Alone, and in pain.... And how his friends were suffering the same fate. “You really are Mr. Cosmo’s creation...”

“Indeed I am. I’m glad you’re smart enough to know that.” Bardot said, another chuckle escaping his throat. “But it’s not like I care about him. He might have been my creator, but he wasn’t going to bring me to life. In fact, it was Rudy who brought me to life with his ‘erasing the ChalkZone’ evidence spree he had. So you could say I’m a collaboration between those two.”

Snap growled at this. How dare this zoner try to associate himself to Rudy in such a manner... Especially after all that he had done...

“Mr. Cosmo is the one who drew me. And Rudy is the one who brought me to life.” Bardot said darkly. “Perhaps I should thank him...after he stops crying. I really did a number on him.”

Snap gasped at this. “What the fuck did you do to him this time?!”

“Oh nothing much...” Bardot said innocently. “I just tore his right arm open and broke it at the elbow, that’s all.”

Snap clenched his teeth so hard he thought they would break. He breathed in ragged breaths in and out. His eyes, wide with anger and hatred, stared into the radio. If only he could reach through and grab this insane zoner...he could make him pay. He would grab him by the throat and yank him out and beat him up for what he did. Snap wasn’t a normally violent zoner, but Bardot...the bastard deserved it.

Bardot’s laughter filled Snap with more rage. Did he really think this was that funny? Did he really think this was an acceptable way to treat another living being? The thought that this zoner really did think stuff like this burned him up. And the way he talked about how he broke Rudy’s arm so casually, like it was no big deal... Snap didn’t think it was possible, but his hatred for this zoner went up even more.

“Penny is not much better off. Draow cut her up pretty badly. He slashed up her broken leg. Now it’s even more useless than before. I believe he shattered her collarbone as well as he tore up her shoulder.” Bardot said in a humored tone of voice. “Yeah, your friends won’t be able to take much more. They’ll die of their injuries before the dehydration. They will need to go to a hospital soon. I hope you hurry, Snap. You are almost out of time.”

Snap’s body shook in rage. “Not only will I make it in time...” He said through clenched teeth. “I will make you regret ever being erased...”

Bardot laughed cruelly at this. “Well then, you better hurry up!” Bardot paused for a moment. Snap thought he was done talking. But the radio didn’t turn off. Instead, he heard Bardot give an amused humph sound, like he just realized something. “You have only five hours left to find them. Best hurry.”

Then the radio clicked off, leaving behind a horrified Snap. He stood there, frozen in place. His eyes were very wide. Five hours left? There was just...five hours left to save them. Rudy and Penny had just a few hours left to live. If they didn’t get out of there in five hours, if they didn’t get back to the real world to be treated and given liquids quickly, they were going to die...

The realization caused Snap to cry. He couldn’t hold it in. He just dropped to his knees and started to cry. He was so close to finding them. But knowing there was so little time left... He knew he had to hurry. But what if he got there too late? What if, despite his best efforts, he failed?

He wiped his tears away. He looked up at the Future Dome, the place where they visited on one of their earlier adventures. He looked around and soon found the tree where Penny had accidentally pulled him out of. Memories of their past adventures came flooding back to him. To think that it might really be over now...to think that he was never going to see his friends again...

No...

No he wouldn’t think like that. He couldn’t give up. He couldn’t.

Snap rose to his feet. He turned his head towards the horizon, the direction where he saw Rapsheeba being taken. In that direction, he had a feeling that was where he was going to find his friends at the end of all this. His eyes narrowed slowly. Determination welling up inside of him. He wasn’t going to give up. He wasn’t beat yet. And there was still time.

He glanced down at the card, looking at what it said. As he read it and tried to figure out what it meant, one thought kept creeping into his mind. And, in a soft whisper, he spoke it.

“Hang on, guys. I’m coming...”

sss

Rudy lay on the ground in absolute agony. His arm, it was on fire practically. Every part of it radiated with pain. The agony in his broken hand now spread, connecting with the deep lacerations that Bardot had given him, extending all the way up to his shoulders. Blood continued to pour from it profusely. And that was just part of his injuries. Bardot had also broken his arm, twisting the elbow until it had popped.

Rudy was amazed he didn’t faint from that. The pain was intense, one of the worst he had felt since he had been here. His arm lay uselessly at the side. He couldn’t move it without feeling intense pain. Now he was even more immobilized than before. Now he had a broken leg and a broken arm. He couldn’t really crawl before, but now that ability was even more hindered.

Pain still radiated from his other wounds, especially his shoulder and side. He knew they were infected, or would be infected soon. Already he could feel himself start to become sick. He started to shiver a little harder, and he realized, with dread, that a fever was starting to settle in. Just like what had happened to Snap...

Memories of what happened to Snap haunted him. That fever that he got that spiked up so high...how it caused him to pass out... It was a terrible memory and not something he wanted to remember. Snap had been so helpless, so sick... Now he was feeling the same thing his friend had gone through. He was in the exact same position. Injured, weak, infected... The only difference is that he hadn’t been tortured with electricity like Snap had. But he knew that, if Bardot had thought of it, the insane zoner would use it against him.

But the worst pain he was feeling, even more intense than any of his injuries, was the separation from Penny. He knew she was hurt. But the worst part was...he had no idea how badly hurt she was now. He didn’t know all that Draow had done to her. It wasn’t like Bardot was going to give him the details of that. His lower lip quivered, wishing he could at least see Penny. But she was in another room, all by herself, just like he was.

Being alone in this place was the worst thing Bardot and Draow could have done to them. And he was certain they knew that, too. That was they they ripped them apart. It was why they had dragged Penny away into her own cell. They wanted to crush their spirits, and they knew that, so long as they were together, they would hold onto that spirit. But alone, separated, they weren’t able to comfort each other anymore. And now remaining mentally defiant was going to be harder.

Rudy missed Penny terribly. They hadn’t been separated that long, but to him, in this wretched place, it felt like an eternity. He wanted to be with her. He wanted to be close to her. He wanted to hug her. They needed each other. Being together was a big reason how they were able to remain so defiant against their captors. But without eachother, all alone... He wasn’t sure how well they could manage mentally.

Being alone was mentally damaging to almost anyone for extended periods of time. And in times like these, where torture was involved, it was even worse. Rudy and Penny could manage their injuries when they had each other to comfort, to tell the other it will be okay. Now alone, there was no one Rudy could turn to. No one to try to help him feel better. He was on his own. It was up to him alone to keep his spirit up. But how long would he last alone...?

He realized that being alone was what he and his friends had to go through right now. They were all by themselves. All in pain. All suffering. Penny was in agony somewhere, all alone, and he couldn’t comfort her. And she couldn’t comfort him either. He was taken to his own cell as well, away from the one he and Penny were originally kept in. He was on the ground, moaning in pain.

And Snap...he was by himself as well. And unlike him and Penny, Snap couldn’t rest. He and Penny could alleviate some of the pain by laying down and not moving much. Snap, though, he had to keep moving. No matter how badly hurt he was getting, he couldn’t stop. He had to keep running to each of the remaining games. If he rested for too long, then he would run out of time.

Rudy knew that his time was almost up. He could feel his body becoming weaker and weaker by each second that passed. The additional blood loss was taking a toll on him. His head was spinning a little, and he was getting awfully tired. He did what he could to fight against it, but he knew, as time passed, he was going to get to the point where he was so weak, he couldn’t stay awake. He didn’t know exactly how much time he had left, but he knew it wasn’t a whole lot.

Rudy shifted his eyes towards the ceiling. He sucked in a shaky breath. He never thought that ChalkZone might be the place of his death... No, he couldn’t think like that. There was still time left. If Snap hurried, he could get them back home. Then everything would be fine.

“Please...hurry Snap...” Rudy begged, his voice scratchy and weak.


	38. This Is ChalkZone

It had been hard finding a place for everyone to fit in her tv van. And she had to hide all the papers she gathered when she had spent some time stalking their kids. The last thing they needed was to waste time asking about that. She hid them in secret compartments of her van and put the computer away. She then pulled out a portion of the van, a new addition she put in a while back, producing two small seats in the back.

After that, everyone could sit down. Terry, obviously in the driver’s. Mr. Tabootie took a seat next to her. In the back, Mrs. Tabootie and Mrs. Sanchez sat down. There wasn’t a lot of room and it looked uncomfortable, but neither women complained. Their children were more important than the seats anyway. Terry turned the van on and started down the street.

Along the way, she had explained to them a bit of what she knew about ChalkZone. She told them that every drawing or writing on a chalkboard ends up in another dimension when erased, and how those living drawings would retain properties of chalk, meaning that they couldn’t get wet or they’d get erased, like a real world chalk drawing would.

She told them about the magic chalk, which is a special type of chalk that can be used to create portals to gain entry into the world. She wasn’t able to tell them where to find a piece of magic chalk or even how to tell one apart from a regular one. She never learned much about them. She had only used magic chalk once and that was years ago. She said she speculated that Rudy has a stash of it somewhere and that was how he was able to gain entry into the world all the time.

She also mentioned that she believes Rudy and Penny visited this place on a regular basis. She wasn’t sure just how often they went there, but judging from how their parents told her, she guessed it was really often. Once a week or perhaps even everyday. She told the parents that, for whatever reason, Rudy and Penny do not want ChalkZone found out and how Rudy had managed to stop her that one time years ago. She isn’t sure why they want it to be so secret. She knew they needed a good reason for it, but she never really found out.

She told them whatever else she was able to without hinting stalking. The parents were grateful that she told them what she knew, but she could tell that they were also frightened and confused. She couldn’t blame them. To anyone else, she was just spewing lunatic garbage. But to the parents, who think that this world just might exist, who were looking for their kids, the idea of a world populated by living, breathing drawings, where possibilities were endless, was downright frightening. Especially if some of these drawings were created to be hostile and vicious.

After she told them what she knew, the parents seemed to have an epiphany. They mentioned times where their kids disappeared, and how, now, they realized it must have been related to ChalkZone. Mr. Tabootie mentioned how Rudy and Penny suddenly appeared in his shop and then disappeared without a sound. He also mentioned the time when Rudy was in his room during Christmas and how Penny would not let him go inside and Rudy was gone for a very long time. And Mrs. Sanchez mentioned the time Penny started speaking gibberish with no apparent rhyme or reason, and she wondered if that was related to ChalkZone.

There were other incidents they remembered, but the biggest one that stuck to their minds was the incident with that one rock band Rudy loved so much. Mr. and Mrs. Tabootie both remembered how their son seemed to have appeared out of a blackboard on stage. They thought it was just post editing or something, but Mrs. Sanchez confirmed it happened for real and even the other band members were shocked by it. The parents felt something heavy weigh them down as they realized that it wasn’t some trick of the camera they witnessed; they had seen Rudy come out of and back in an actual interdimensional portal.

And when Terry told them about Snap, whom she stated was drawn by Rudy and was a living drawing, something clicked in Mrs. Tabootie’s head. She hadn’t really seen anything unusual at first with the Madcap Snap comics Rudy drew over the years. But knowing that Snap was his friend, and that the comics may have had at least some true stories in it, it took on a whole other meaning for her. What looked like an obsession with one character turned out to be a deeply forged friendship. Nothing else could describe it.

Then the parents started to ask the really hard question. And that was why hadn’t their kids trusted them enough with this alternate dimension? Why did they keep it from them for so long? Why had they lied to them about any injuries they’ve gotten or why they’ve been gone so long?

There was some hurt in their voices, and Terry couldn’t blame them. It had to be hard finding out, after all these years, their kids had been exploring and adventuring in a completely new world cut off from everyone else. It had to be difficult to take in the fact that their children may have been in mortal danger or getting hurt because they were in this place, alone, with no adults to supervise them. It had to be painful for them to realize that their children didn’t seem to trust them enough to tell them what happened to them in this world. That was one of the worst pains a parent could feel...when a child no longer trusts them enough with something huge and problematic like this.

While Terry could give them ideas on what they could do about this, it wasn’t like she was out of ideas, but she realized it wasn’t her place to say. She would have told them to let her handle it. If it were up to her, she would still want to expose ChalkZone so people were more aware of it. At this point, she wouldn’t expose it just for her own benefit, but for the benefit and safety of others. If other people were more aware of this place, then precautions could be taken.

But as for what to do with Rudy and Penny... Terry decided not to even touch that subject. If one of the parents asks, she would tell them it was up to them what to do. Terry herself didn’t have much of an idea on what could be done. They could be banned from the place, or limited in some way. She knew that would be hard for them. A part of her liked that idea as it meant she and Vinnie could explore unhindered. But another part couldn’t help but feel a little bad for them. They seemed really close to these...what were they called...zoners. Yeah, they were close to the zoners.

As she continued to drive towards the old building, she couldn’t help but overhear their conversation. She didn’t want to look like she was eavesdropping. They didn’t need something like that now. But she still couldn’t help hearing what they had to say.

“This is...this is all too much.” Mrs. Tabootie said, her voice cracking. “I can’t believe it.. All this time, our children were...”

“I know, Mrs. Tabootie. It’s hard for me to believe, too.” Mrs. Sanchez said, putting her hand on Mrs. Tabootie’s. “Our children have been keeping a lot from us.”

Mr. Tabootie, who had turned around and slung his arm over the seat, looked at the women with slightly narrowed eyes. “Well after we find them, that is going to have to stop. Our children have been romping around this...this... child’s fantasy come to life, and they may have landed themselves in trouble and...we didn’t know about it. Well that is going to change.”

The two women nodded. From her rearview mirror, Terry could see that the two women also narrowed her eyes. She realized what this meant. Anger had started to settle in. She knew it was going to happen sooner or later. Knowing that their children were hiding something from them shocked them at first, but as that shock wore out, anger replaced it. Anger from being lied to. Anger from their children getting hurt and them not knowing about it.

Mrs. Sanchez turned her head to Mrs. Tabootie. “When we find them and bring them back, what do you think we should do about them visiting this ChalkZone place?”

Terry’s eyes widened a little. So perhaps she would find out after all what they planned on doing. Or did they even have an idea yet? It was too early to tell. They hadn’t even seen the place yet to make a judgment call.

“I don’t know. I mean..they’ve been there all this time and they’ve been still with us. And if they keep going, then it can’t be as dangerous as we think but...” Mrs. Tabootie paused for a moment, biting her lip. “But if this is where they’ve been taken, then there has to be danger involved. If this is where the other victims were taken to, and judging from all that blood, then...” She hesitated. “...then I’m not sure if I want my son associating himself with that...that place...”

Those words sounded so final to Terry. She wasn’t sure if she should be happy or not. It sounded like Mrs. Tabootie was in favor of banning the kids from ChalkZone. She wondered how Rudy and Penny would react to that. Not a pretty thing to hear after whatever they were going through right now.

Mrs. Sanchez nodded her head. “I have to agree. This place sounds really dangerous. I mean, I’m sure it’s fun and all but...” She looked at the ground, her fingers interlocking. “..with endless possibilities...with some of these...zoners...being dangerous...maybe it would be for the best to stop them from going. I’m...sure they would understand.”

There was silence in the van for a few minutes. Terry let it all sink in. Perhaps she wouldn’t have to worry about Rudy and Penny again after all. The parents seemed to have decided not to let them back in. And she could understand why. Their children were kidnapped and injured, and ChalkZone may have been the place they were taken to. She could see why they would want to stop them from going so they wouldn’t have another incident like this happen again.

She hated to admit it, but there was a lot about ChalkZone she didn’t understand herself. The two missing teenagers knew more about it than she did. There might be other dangers of that place that she hadn’t even considered. What dangerous secrets was that world hiding?

Mr. Tabootie broke the silence. The frown was gone, replaced with a sympathetic one.

“I understand where you girls are coming from. That world they go to...it might be too dangerous for them. It might be the wisest choice block all access to it, or supervise them at the very least. But...” Mr. Tabootie paused, looking at the two women, who stared at him intently to continue. Terry found herself looking at the man in the corner of her eyes, waiting for him to continue. Biting his lip a little, the man said, “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves here. We might be overreacting. I’m sure there is...a reason why our children kept this place secret from us.”

“If it’s dangerous, that would be a good reason.” Mrs. Tabootie said. “And that’s why we should stop them from going.”

Mr. Tabootie shook his head. “Millie, we haven’t even seen the place yet. We don’t know how dangerous it is. And if it was really that bad, why would our children keep going to it?” Neither women had an answer for that. “I’d have to say it’s because the positives outweigh the negatives. That place might not be as bad as we’re thinking it is. If our children like to go to it so often, then it has to be a welcoming place. The very least we can do is give it the benefit of the doubt first.”

“I suppose you’re right, Mr. Tabootie.” Mrs. Sanchez said. She let out a soft sigh. “Even though our children did not trust us with this chalk world’s existence, we should show them we still trust them. If we yank them from this world too soon, we might damage the relationship we have with them.”

Mrs. Tabootie was quiet for a while. Her expression slowly softened up. “You’re right, Joe. Let’s talk to our children first, and then decide from there what course of action to take.”

“I couldn’t agree more with you, Millie.” Mr. Tabootie said, giving her a smile. “Before we take action, let’s get answers first.”

The two nodded in agreement. Then all was quiet. No one else said a word during the rest of the trip towards the old building. Terry thought about saying something, but it was really none of her business. Any comment she thought about making, she kept it to herself. They were their children after all. What right did she have in telling them what to do?

When they arrived at the building, she parked the van out in front. She turned the car off and gestured for the adults to follow her. They got out their umbrellas. It was a really rainy day still. It rained heavily for the past few days, almost like it was reflecting the mood of the missing people. They headed towards the building and got in just as a bolt of lightning clashed, sending vibrations through the ground.

Provided no one had come in here since she left, the chalkboard with the portal on it should still be up the steps in that artist’s room. She never did find out who used to live here. A shame. Knowing who lived here might have held an important clue or something. Oh well. She shrugged it off. Not all mysteries could be solved. Not much to be done about that, as unfortunate as it is.

She led the adults up the stairs with her, careful not to move too fast so they wouldn’t lose her. She located the artist’s room and took them inside...

...only to be greeted by a shocking sight. Not something she had been expecting.

There was a lot of water in this room. It flooded the back portion, near where the window was. There had to be six inches of water on the ground. Every step they took, there was a splash. Terry couldn’t believe how much water accumulated in this place. At first, it seemed like a minor annoyance. But then she saw something else, and her eyes widened.

The chalkboard had fallen into the water. The portal itself was facing upwards. But little by little, water was flowing over it. None of it went through the portal, but it was getting dangerously close to it. Terry felt her heart clench as she realized how big of a mistake it was to leave the chalkboard here. She should have taken it with her. If she had come just a minute later, then...

Wasting no time, Terry shot over to the chalkboard. She grabbed it and lifted it up, using whatever strength she could muster, and got it sitting back up again. She took in a few breaths and then turned to Mr. Tabootie.

“Help me move this out of here!” Terry ordered him.

“But what about taking us to ChalkZone?” Mr. Tabootie asked. “We’re here, aren’t we?”

“Yes, but if you don’t help me get this to a drier place, there won’t be a ChalkZone to explore!” Terry told him, her voice filled with urgency.

Mrs. Tabootie and Mrs. Sanchez moved out of the way as Mr. Tabootie and Terry grabbed the chalkboard and began to move it. As they walked in the hallway, looking for a place that was much drier and more secure than that bedroom, Terry felt some sense of relief. Erasing ChalkZone was the last thing that she wanted to happen, especially if the victims happen to be there. They could have died...

Terry couldn’t kick herself harder for not realizing that the rain could have filled up the room like that. Her mind swirled with terrible thoughts as she realized all that could have happened had that water gotten into ChalkZone. Snap reacted in pain when her old associate sat on him, and when she had folded him up and put him in the bag. What would water of felt like to them...?

Terry didn’t know why she cared all that much about the drawings. They could just be redrawn, couldn’t they? Then again, there was a lot she didn’t know. And it did seem possible that these beings were very much sentient. Not just alive, but sentient. Snap was definite proof of that. Perhaps that was why she cared enough to stop the water from flowing in, not just because erasing ChalkZone would mean that she’d no longer have physical evidence of the place.

Once they got the chalkboard in a safe, dry place, away from any windows or any sources of water, Terry gestured for the parents to move back so she could turn the chalkboard. They hadn’t yet seen the portal. Slowly, she moved the chalkboard, and she watched as each of the parents’ eyes went wide. They were soon covered in the warm light of ChalkZone. Terry moved back, staring at the portal, and then back at the parents.

The portion of ChalkZone that was exposed looked to be some kind of jungle. Tall trees covered the land, as well as several vines. And just like she described, it looked artificial. Everything they looked at, even the sky, had a pastel kind of look to it. It really did look like someone just drew all this...and that is exactly what had happened. Once in a while, they would hear the call of something from the jungle, indicating it was alive and filled with life.

The parents gasped in shock when something flew by the portal that Terry recognized as a flying pencil. Literally, a pencil with bird wings. That definitely told the parents that this world was strange and different, nothing like what they were used to here.

At first, the parents weren’t sure what to do. They looked at each other nervously, then back at the portal. Terry had a feeling they’d react like this. It was one thing to be told of this place, but another to see it for themselves. A part of her wondered how much the parents really believed her stories until they had seen ChalkZone for themselves. She didn’t dwell on the matter.

Terry moved up to the portal and gestured her hand in front of it. “This is ChalkZone. You want to find your kids, they might be in here.”

“ChalkZone...” Mr. Tabootie went up to the portal, staring at it in awe. “If I hadn’t seen it for myself, I...” He paused, and looked at Terry. “Is it..is it safe to go in?”

Terry nodded her head. “Yeah, the interdimensional portals are completely safe.” To demonstrate, she shot her hand through until her arm was all the way inside ChalkZone. She pulled it back and made sure the parents could see her whole arm so they could see she was fine. “See?”

With that, Mr. Tabootie tried it himself. He put his hand in it, then seconds later, yanked it out like he thought he was going to get burned. When he realized he was fine, he put his hand back through a few times to confirm. He looked back at the women.

“She’s right. It’s safe!” Mr. Tabootie called out.

“We can head inside and we might run into one of those zoners.” Terry said. “They might be able to tell us if they’ve seen Rudy or Penny anywhere.”

“But would they even help us?” Mrs. Sanchez wondered out loud.

“They might. I’m sure many of the zoners know your kids really well.” Terry said, trying to reassure them. “Come on, let’s go in. Don’t worry, it’ll be fine.”

With that, one by one, the adults went through the portal. Terry went in first without hesitation. She took a few steps back and gestured for the adults to follow. She gave them a reassuring smile, letting them know it was safe. She could still they were still overwhelmed with the place. But soon, they came in after her. Mr. Tabootie first, then his wife, then Mrs. Sanchez.

Mrs. Tabootie looked around. Her eyes widened, taking in the details of the place. “I never imagined such a place...”

“I’m not even sure what to think of it...” Mrs. Sanchez looked at one of the trees up close. She put her hand on it and rubbed it up and down. “This has the appearance of a drawing, but it feels real...”

“It certainly has an exotic feel to it.” Mr. Tabootie noted. He looked up and saw what looked like a stick figure bird flying overhead. “This place has some kind of childhood charm to it...” He looked back at the women. “No wonder Rudy and Penny liked to come here.”

“We don’t have time to waste.” Terry said. She made a motion with her hand. “Come on, let’s try to find someone to help us.”

As the adults walked, they were unaware that they were being watched by multiple cameras. Tiny cameras that they couldn’t even really see anyway. The cameras sent feed back, moving at the speed of light. And the signal went all the way back to a certain place in the Mumbo Jumbo Jungle, inside a certain rhino-shaped cave, where two certain zoners had been hiding.

A dark smile spread across Bardot’s face as the cameras shot back images of the four adults walking around in ChalkZone.

“So it seems we have company...” The hybrid zoner turned to Draow. “Why don’t you greet them?”

Draow chuckled evilly. “Gladly...”

With that, the bat wolf moved away swiftly. He spread his wings and took off into the air as soon as he left the cave. He headed off in the direction the adults were spotted.

sss

Snap coughed and wheezed, looking around frantically for an escape route. All around him, the ground had risen up, sealing him in a stony prison. Small openings in the ground were pumping in a deadly neurotoxin. Snap tried to hold his breath, but it was no use, and he could feel the gas start to affect him. Once in a while, he almost called out to one of his friends, only to be faced with the grim reminder that he was all alone now.

He hadn’t expected this kind of death trap. It started off as a simple game of jacks. Not something he had expected. But the big surprise came later. Unlike the other deathtraps, this one...it came instantly. There was no ‘few minute delay’ like with the past death traps. This one was sprung as soon as he set foot on the playing field...

Snap managed to figure out the riddle pretty quickly. And he came to the spot. And what a place for Bardot to pick. It was the same spot where he and Rudy met for the first time years ago. Of course Bardot would want to choose a place like this for this kind of deathtrap. What a place for him to die, the same place where he and Rudy first became pals. How...predictable of Bardot to do such a thing.

And when he came, he found several jacks laying on the ground. The card didn’t really tell him much. And at the moment, he had all but forgotten what it said. What he did remember was that he walked onto the ‘playing field’ to go back up the jacks to play with until the death trap triggered. But he was taken by complete surprise when the death trap activated immediately. As soon as he touched the first jack, there was a loud blare, forcing him to cover his ears.

Snap wasn’t really sure why this deathtrap sprung right away. He wondered if Bardot, when designing these ‘games’ got bored with this one and decided to mess with him by having it start right off the bat. Whatever the reason, Snap knew he was in big trouble.

The ground beneath him shook. The jacks rolled all around him. They morphed and took on a new shape. They spread over him, completely sealing him inside, blocking out the light. Snap looked around, and wondered at first if this was all the deathtrap was going to do. If all that was going to happen is that he’d be trapped in here until he starved to death, he would have believed that Bardot was losing it. Thinking back to the other deathtraps, he knew Bardot could do better than this.

Oh how he wished that had been the case.

Gas started to get pumped into the sealed room. And right away, Snap reacted in horror. From the smell of it, he knew it was a deadly neurotoxin. It filled up the entirety of the artificial room he was trapped in. And no matter which way he looked, there appeared to be no way out. He had tried pounding at the sides of the walls, but they wouldn’t give way.

Snap was on his knees now, coughing and wheezing. The neurotoxin was messing with his mind now. His vision was becoming distorted as his brain was being poisoned. He felt the nerves in his body start to tingle, and suddenly he was reminded of Mr. Cosmo. He remembered how his neurological system was damaged by the mind control device. He remembered how he got a seizure....how he almost lost control of his legs permanently.. He remembered the burning pain he felt whenever the device was in use.

This was a low blow, something he expected from Bardot anyway. It took him until now to fully realize it. This trap, it was designed specifically to remind him of his time at Mr. Cosmo’s lair. Being trapped with nowhere to go...like how he had been caged up like a wild animal. Being alone...like he had been during most of his stay at Mr. Cosmo’s... A neurotoxin messing with his nerves...just like how the mind control device did... This was done this way just to mess with him...

Snap fell to the ground, his breaths growing weaker as time passed. He looked around, his eyes halfway open. How was he going to get out of here? The walls were rock solid. He couldn’t break them. And pounding on them was not only using up precious energy, it was making him breathe in the toxins faster, speeding up their effects on him.

As hopeless as it seemed, he couldn’t just give up. He looked around again as his vision started to blur a little. There had to be something here to help him. Bardot always designed his ‘games’ with a way to win them. So there had to be a way out of this place. Somehow, someway, there had to be.

Then he saw something. In the middle of the floor, there looked to be a button of some kind. It couldn’t be that easy, could it? Bardot had to be losing his edge if a simple button would get him out of here. There had to be some kind of catch. He was reluctant to press it. It might have been something to make the neurotoxins fill the room faster. Or maybe it would cause it to explode or something. But as he looked around, feeling himself get weaker and weaker, he really didn’t have much of a choice. There was nothing else here to help him.

Snap walked, no, he crawled over to the button. He winced as his bad leg scraped across the ground. His replacement stick was outside these walls. He would have to grab it when he was able to get out of this particular deathtrap...if he did...

Hesitating for a moment, Snap pressed the button.

Seconds later, the ground underneath him shifted. He expected the walls to lower down, but instead, something else happened. Something completely unexpected. The floor...opened.. Right underneath him. Snap barely had time to register that before he fell in.

The tunnel was dark and windy. He cried out in pain as he tumbled and slide downwards. His injuries were aggravated, scraping along the bumpy tunnel walls. It got worse when a couple of sharp corners came into view, and his burn banged on one of them. Tears of pain forming in his eyes, Snap screamed in pain. And that was just the beginning of it. The tunnel continued on for another five minutes, all the while he kept getting cut and bruised up from the fall. And he had no idea where he was going.

Along the way, he found a card. He managed to grab it before he went down further. If there was one good thing about finding one of Bardot’s cards, it was that it was a surefire way to know that he did ‘beat’ the game the way it was intended. Snap looked down at the card and read its contents.

“You are down to the final two games. But don’t get cocky. There’s so much to lose. Your friends are down to four hours, and you still need to win these two games. I will give you a hand. Instead of making you solve a riddle for this, I am going to take you straight to the next game. But beware, it’s going to be...explosive.

-Bardot”

As soon as he finished reading it, Snap was suddenly flung out of the opening of the tunnel. He found himself in some strange volcanic place. There was no sign of lava, but he could see pointed mountains all over, some with smoke pillowing out. Yeah, these were volcanoes of course.

He walked forward. He stood in a raised, rounded platform surrounded by what appeared to be black tar. He tested the tar, throwing a rock into it. He winced as the rock was practically gobbled up by the tar. Snap continued to walk along the platform he was on, and soon came across what appeared to be a bridge made up of floating, circular platforms. Not seeing much of a choice, he went onto it, limping all the way as he headed towards what looked like a large rectangle platform lower to the tar.

As soon as he stood on it, there was a rumble. He looked around. Had the deathtrap activated already? Then he took notice of something else. The platform he was on now was located in front of a large volcano. He looked upon its rocky surface. He saw darkened streaks along its sides, indicating it was an active volcano, not a dormant one. He was about to look for the card when something happened that was completely unexpected.

The volcano...spoke...

“Welcome, Snap White. I have been expecting you.” The voice was omnipresent and booming. “Let us begin the game.”

A sentient volcano...a sentient talking volcano...one that was active and could erupt at any given moment. And Snap was standing so close to it, there was no way he could run away in time. Welll...he had been right about one thing. Getting out that easily from the last deathtrap...

..there really had been a catch.


	39. An Icy Eruption

“Oy caloy! I don’t believe this!” Snap cried.

Here he was, standing on a platform directly in front of an active volcano. And to make matters worse, the path behind him was blocked. The platforms moved away, meaning he was trapped here, and had no choice but to play against this sentient volcano. He looked up at it, flinching at how big it was. It looked to be three times the size of Biclops. It was just gigantic. And something that looked like smoke, only lighter in color, was filtering out of the top.

The fact that this volcano could speak was creepy enough, especially in how its voice sounded. But doing so with no mouth, and somehow hearing and seeing him without eyes or ears was even more unsettling to Snap. A part of him wondered if this was supposed to be the deadliest deathtrap Bardot had to offer. It was a huge talking volcano after all, and he wouldn’t doubt that it could make itself erupt all on its own. And it might be able to direct its magma right towards him...

His thoughts were interrupted when the ground in front of him shook a little. He thought at first that the volcano was about to blow up, another instant deathtrap trigger, but instead, in front of him, he saw a bright blue light glow. It spread all around, cutting in front of him and then all around the sides. Then it criss crossed across along, and soon nine squares were formed. Snap stared at it, wondering what kind of game they were going to play. But judging from the board that was drawn in blue light, he had an idea of what it was going to be.

“We’re playing tic-tac-toe?” Snap asked, a little confused. Tic-tac-toe? Isn’t that the kind of game that wasn’t winnable? Why would Bardot choose that? Unless.. Snap’s eyes widened in fear. “Oh no...” He looked up at the volcano.

In that same booming voice from before, it spoke. “The object of this game, I’m sure you know, is to get three in a row. The O will be yours. I will take the X.”

“But..but you can’t win tic-tac-toe!” Snap cried, waving his arms in the air in a panic. “Oh man...that button really was too convenient!”

The ground shook, a few short bursts of rumbling. It took Snap a few seconds to realize it was the volcano. It was laughing at him. He narrowed his eyes at the volcano. He did not see what was so funny about this situation.

“You are a fool.” The volcano said. “Every game is winnable, even tic-tac-toe. You just..need the right strategy...Now...” As it spoke, something rose out of the ground on both sides of the board. “Let us begin.”

Snap took quick notice of what the objects rising out of the ground turned out to be. More buttons. Well not just buttons, but levers too. There was one marked under each row. And then each one had a lever with three different settings to choose from. On the sides, there were lights. A blue light, which Snap believed was himself. And then a red one, obviously the volcano. Without even touching anything, Snap had a pretty good idea on how to use these controls. He walked over and got into position.

“I will go first.” The volcano declared.

Snap stared as the lever in the middle was pushed using some twisting of the rocks. When the lever stopped, the volcano placed its mark. A red X appeared in the center of the playing field. Now it was Snap’s turn. He stared at the board, trying to figure out where he should make his move. He wasn’t sure if he could even win this game because, well, tic-tac-toe was a tie game, meaning it was supposed to end with no winners. If he lost the game...

He shook the thought of his head and went on to play. He moved to the lever on the far right side. He pushed it up one and placed a blue O right next to the red X. He looked up at the volcano and nodded, prompting the volcano to play its next move. With more twisting of the rocks, the volcano placed a red X just below Snap’s blue O.

Snap knew this game wasn’t going to take long. There was nothing indicating that they would do a rematch. So he had to make this game count. He concentrated on the board, keeping an eye on where the volcano was making its marks. If he wasn’t careful and if he slipped up, it would be game over not just for him...but for all his friends too. And possibly for ChalkZone. Who knew what exactly Bardot had planned for everyone else here? He shuddered at the thought of it.

As he placed his next blue O in the upper left corner, Snap wondered how his friends were holding up. He hoped Rapsheeba and Blocky were okay. He had no idea if they were being hurt or not. Not knowing...it was scaring him. For all he knew, they were being ripped to shreds. He didn’t really trust Bardot all that much. He knew Bardot could decieve without giving all information. He might have done something to his chalk friends and then found a way to lie about it without actually outright lying about it. That was worse than just straight up lying.

Horrible thoughts crossed his mind. There were all sorts of torture methods Bardot could use. He had witnessed some of them during these ‘games’ that he had been playing. Gas...being ripped to shreds by beasts...being blasted by robotic basketballs... And that was just a couple. He had a feeling Bardot had a lot of these lethal things laying around that he’s been waiting to use. And he had no doubts that he would use them on his friends...

And then there was Rudy and Penny... He had so little time to save them. A part of him was glad that this game was tic-tac-toe, which isn’t a long game to begin with. He could get it finished up really quickly and move onto the next game. Well provided he survives whatever deathtrap this one had in store for him. And he had a very good idea on what the deathtrap here would be. A repeat of the one on the golf course, only this time, with a lot more lava to worry about.

Four hours left to save his friends...less now since some time passed as he and the volcano continued their game. Most of the squares were taken up now. Snap did have an idea on how to win, and had placed his Os in a certain pattern. He wasn’t sure if this strategy would work, but he had to try something. The placement of his Os might ensure him victory in the next two or three moves. So long as he plays his cards right, that is.

He just hoped that he is able to reach his friends in time. Rudy and Penny were really badly hurt. Bardot’s words echoed in his mind. He said they were going to die of their injuries...that meant he had even less time. They must have suffered a lot of blood loss. All those injuries they had sustained...they were really adding up and it was taking a toll on their bodies. He didn’t doubt infection was settling in. He doubted that their wounds were being properly treated. Knowing Bardot, he might have been doing what he could to make the wounds worse.

The thought of infection made him remember his time with Mr. Cosmo, how his back was torn open and hardly treated. Just the bare minimum. It didn’t stop the infection from spreading throughout his body, giving him a high fever and weakening him greatly. Snap remembered how horrible that fever felt. He remembered the chills that constantly spread through his body and how his head was throbbing in pain, mostly around where the nail had been drilled into his head.

And now Rudy and Penny may be going through that right now. And not just them. There was Blocky. He was badly wounded from the zombies. And he most likely wasn’t getting any treatment for that. He must be really sick right now. And Rapsheeba...she wasn’t as injured as him or Blocky, but she still had wounds that needed some form of treatment. And who is to say that Bardot or Draow wouldn’t give her more injuries?

There was also the issue of food and water. Rapsheeba had a little bit to eat and drink. Not a lot, but it was something. So she and him weren’t as bad off as they used to be. Still hungry and thirsty, but at least they had something. Blocky, however, was not so lucky. Snap realized that Blocky might be just as bad off as Rudy and Penny. Hadn’t eaten or drank anything since these ‘games’ began two days ago, hardly rested, and was badly injured. Snap knew he had to hurry.

The realization that he hadn’t slept in days made him feel suddenly tired. He stopped himself from closing his eyes and shook his head. He couldn’t sleep, not now. He looked up at the volcano. Then he glanced down at the board. It seemed that the volcano had been waiting for him to make a move for the past minute, and it was growing impatient. Low rumbles spread throughout the ground, and he guessed that was the volcano growling in anger.

Snap realized there was one move he could make to complete his strategy. He went to the appropriate row and pushed on the lever until it reached the spot that he wanted. He placed his O there, and looked pleased with himself. The way he had his Os lined up was so that he had not one but two areas where he could get three in a row. The volcano couldn’t win against him now. He could block one area, but not the other.

The volcano made its next move, becoming one mark away from winning. But Snap wasn’t going to give it that chance. Smirking, Snap made his final move. As soon as he did so, a blue line cut through the ground, lining up perfectly through the center of the circles. Blue light shined through, partially illuminating the ground.

“I win!” Snap declared, pointing a hand at the volcano. “I guess you were right. Tic-tac-toe really is winnable!”

The volcano was silent for a few moments. Snap couldn’t tell if the volcano was angry that it lost or what. He stared at the volcano, waiting for it to do something. Then it spoke again. What it said made Snap freeze in fear.

“Deathtrap activation.” The volcano said. “Target: Snap White.”

As soon as it said this, there was a loud rumbling. The ground shook violently. The platform he was on started to crumble a little. The line that went through the Os he lined up broke and started top pull apart. A deep crevice formed and bright blue light shot out violently, going up in the air and exploding. Then the cracks spread to Snap. He backed up until he could go no further. He stared down at the cracks, then looked up at the volcano in fear.

More smoke came pillowing out of the volcano’s top. Soon it filled the skies. The light-colored smoke swirled overhead. A few boulders shot out of the top, crashing into the tar all around him. One landed just a few feet away from where he was trapped. Then there was a loud bang and he knew the volcano was erupting.

But what came out took him by complete surprise.

Instead of lava like he had expected, it was ice. A stream of white ice came spilling out over the edge, heading straight for him. The whole front of the volcano was covered in ice, sparkling. If Snap weren’t scared for his life, he would think that this was such a beautiful sight. He realized that this was no ordinary volcano. He heard Penny talk about these things once. It was a cryovolcano. A volcano that spilled molten ice rather than lava.

Snap looked around, trying to find some way to escape. The ice was building up, taller and taller, until he was certain it was higher than himself. And it was continuing rolling down towards him. He tried to find a way to escape it, but he realized, in horror, that there wasn’t. And in a matter of seconds, the wall of ice struck him head.

Crying out in pain, Snap flung through the air and landed hard on the ice, bending his leg at an odd angle. He hissed and immediately straightened his leg. It didn’t break, but man did that hurt. The way he landed on the ice had caused him to stretch his cuts. He felt something break and now hot blood started to spill out of his once closed wounds. He climbed to his feet carefully, trying his best to bear the pain. He took one step, but lost his footing immediately and fell down.

The ice was very slippery, even more so than the usual ice he’d run into. At least it wasn’t hurting him. It wasn’t hot or anything. It was cold. And pressing his leg against it did feel good. Maybe he could just ride this out and jump off whenever he found a nice, soft place to land.

Then he realized that wasn’t going to be possible. The ice wall he was riding was veering off in a new direction, away from where he had landed. He wondered where he was going. Where was the ice taking him? He tried again to stand up, and this time, he managed a little better. He wobbled, but soon managed to keep his footing. He put his hand over his eyes to try to get a better view. He looked up in front of him, where the ice was rolling towards.

It was hard to tell at first. He could barely see it. Then he saw what looked like a rocky landscape. He could see plateus all around. And then up ahead, it looked like it was a... His eyes widened in horror as he realized what was going to happen. The ice it was...

...it was going to take him right over a huge cliff...

Almost as a way to show him what he was in for, the cryovolcano shot out a boulder in his direction. It landed next to him with a heavy thud. It rolled down, moving ahead of the ice wall. Snap watched as the boulder went over the edge. Seconds later, the boulder hit bottom, and he winced at the sound. The boulder clearly broke in half, like something had cut it apart. That was when he realized there had to be something sharp and hard at the bottom of this cliff. Oh no...he had to get out of here...

Snap turned and tried to run off the ice wall. The ground was so slippery that he could barely move towards the edge. But he still had to try. He ignored the pain in his leg as he tried to run over to jump off the edge. He knew the fall might hurt him, but it would hurt him much less than going over this edge would, that’s for sure.

The cryovolcano, however, had a different idea. More boulders were shot in his direction. They weren’t aimed directly at him, but at the ground in front of him. The boulders smashed down, almost crushing his feet. He screamed and moved back, falling down onto his behind. He got up to his feet once more and tried again, only for more boulders to smash down all around him.

This happened no matter which direction he went. If he tried to head along the back of the ice wall, back towards the source of the eruption to jump off from there, more boulders would smash down in front of him, blocking his path and driving him back. And if he tried to jump off the edge, more large rocks would prevent him from doing so. Snap had no idea how many rocks this cryo thing had stored inside, but he didn’t have doubts that it had plenty more with that came from.

Snap realized, in a cold chill, that the cryovolcano was ensuring that he wouldn’t try to jump off the ice wall as it flowed towards the edge. Snap’s eyes widened. There wasn’t much distance left now. He had to do something, and fast. For if he didn’t get off of this ice wall soon, he was going to be crushed and sliced apart.

sss

Terry tried to struggle against her binds. She attempted to pull her arms free, but no matter what she did, it was useless. Nothing would get her out of here. She was chained securely against the cold wall. The metal dug deeply into her wrists, causing them to ache. Her arms were secured over her head. Her body was covered in several minor injuries. Her green business suit was a little torn, and she had a few bloody scratches all over her, mostly on her arms and legs. A few deeper ones in her side.

She looked over at the parents. They were chained up as well, in the same manner as her. All of them with similar injuries. None that were too severe, but most of the injuries were still bleeding and weren’t treated. She wasn’t sure how infected they would get in the chalk world. That was one bit she did not know. She was going to go the safe route and assume that they will need to be covered up. Some of the wounds were a little deeper, and in a strange world, best not to take chances with that kind of stuff.

She couldn’t believe how careless she had been. She hadn’t thought of the possible dangers of ChalkZone. She knew that they existed, no doubt about it. But she didn’t know ChalkZone that well, and hadn’t realized that some places of this world were more dangerous than others. This jungle had some pretty nasty animal zoners roaming about. A few of them had given chase and they had to run for it. But it wasn’t the animal zoners that had done this to them.

This was where she had made her biggest mistake. Not remembering that some zoners were downright evil. She knew that zoners were sentient, capable of choice. And she always knew that some had to be nasty and violent by their own will, not just because they were a predator looking for prey. She had forgotten to take that into consideration when they started looking for someone to talk to. If she had just remembered, they might not have wound up in this horrible mess.

They had been wandering through the jungle, escaping what looked like a cross between a panther and a giraffe, when they were suddenly confronted by what appeared to be a large wolf with bat wings. The creature introduced himself as Draow. Since he was a talking zoner, Terry thought that they might get some answers from him, so she tried to do the talking. The parents, though reluctant, joined in, attempting to make conversation with this Draow zoner.

But they soon realized that Draow wasn’t the friendliest person to talk to. He immediately roared at them and gave chase. Using his claws, he started to attack them. He hit them with his talons, scraping against their skin, and drew blood. They all screamed in fear and horror as the massive wolf gnashed his jaws at them, and knocked them into the ground. They had attempted to escape, but the bat wolf thing was too fast for them. Any direction they went in, he would just cut them off.

Despite their best efforts to get away, Draow managed to capture them. He pinned them all on the ground and threatened to bite their heads off if they didn’t cooperate with him. With no one else around to help them out, they all had no choice but to obligue. Draow took them all and carried them over here.

Once in this room, they did try again to escape, only to be attacked. Draow used his legs to slash into them, tearing into their sides and knocking them into the ground. He shut the door behind him to ensure no one tried to escape, and then he went to work pushing them against the walls, making sure their feet didn’t touch the ground. The chains moved on their own and clamped down on their arms, securing them in place. Then Draow left them alone.

Draow had been gone for ten minutes now. None of them were sure where he was going. There was some belief that he was getting more of his wolf pals and they were going to eat them. Terry had doubts about that theory. Zoners couldn’t eat real world food. She came to this conclusion when she realized that real world liquid dissolves chalk. Real world food might kill a zoner or make them very sick. But just because Draow wasn’t going to eat them didn’t mean they were out of the woods yet. They didn’t need to be eaten in order to be killed...

Terry looked over at the parents. They were terrified, and she couldn’t blame them. She wondered if they were upset with her. She wouldn’t be surprised if they were. After all, they had trusted her to help find their kids, only to get captured not long after they first arrived. She wondered if they were thinking more on what to do after they rescue their children. Would Draow’s attack convince them that ChalkZone was too dangerous for their children to be in?

That was a real possibility. While they had witnessed the beauty of ChalkZone, they also fell victim to it. They found out, first hand, that not all the locals are so friendly. Heck, they hadn’t even seen a single nice zoner since they got here. Terry wondered if most zoners stay out of the Mumbo Jumbo Jungle, and if so, she could definitely see why.

Her thoughts were interrupted when they heard footsteps. They didn’t sound so loud. It couldn’t be Draow. But then..who could it be? Perhaps an associate of Draow? As a shadow casted on the wall, she knew they were about to find out very soon.

She was surprised when something kind of cute walked in. Red and yellow, all furry and kinda like a cross between a reptile and a dog. It looked like it had been injured. It was bleeding a little and its left ear was torn. There was also a slight limp in its walking. It came walking in, and when it looked up at them, suddenly it didn’t look so cute anymore. Sharp fangs...hideously sharp... And an evil, contorted smile, one that showed clear intent to harm. And those eyes...they glowed with malice. Around its neck, a human tooth...

“Welcome...welcome...” The zoner said. He looked at each adult, smirking at their expressions of fear and confusion. “My name is Bardot and I will be your...host you could say.” A dark chuckle escaped his throat. He paced around the front of the adults, eyeing them up and down, licking his licks creepily. “I must say, you saved me the trouble of coming after you myself.”

Despite her fear, Mrs. Tabootie spoke up. “A-Are you the one who h-has been causing the disappearances of so many people?”

Bardot looked up at her. A grin spread across his face. “Guilty as charged.” He walked up to her, stopping a few feet in front. He stared up at her intently with those eerie green eyes. “It wasn’t easy figuring out how to get those humans into this world, but once I figured it out, everything fell into place. And I am sure you are wondering, so I will tell you. The first five of my victims...they’re all dead. You see, I have gained a tasted for human flesh and found a way to eat your kind without experiencing side effects.”

At this, the adults paled, horrified by this news. Terry couldn’t believe it. A zoner that could eat humans... And all the other victims, they were dead. Did that mean that Rudy and Penny were...?

The parents were clearly thinking what she was. They looked at each other, their eyes wide in terror. Their faces went paler than hers, almost white as sheets. This zoner hadn’t even confirmed if he had killed their children or not. He hadn’t even mentioned them yet, but he seemed to imply it all too well. Terry had a feeling that, if they waited, they would be told what happened to Rudy and Penny.

Mr. Tabootie spoke in a shaken voice. “You...you killed all those people...?”

“Yes.” Bardot licked his lips again. He turned his head to the side and gave Mr. Tabootie a sideways glance. “They were all really tasty too. I still have some of their parts stored. They need to be kept dry. Real world water is a....bit of a bummer for me.”

Silence fell upon the room. No one knew what to say. Terry and the others were filled with fear. They had barely met this guy and already he was turning out to be a monster. Some deranged serial killer in the form of a beast. And now they were trapped, completely at his mercy, and they had no idea what he was going to do to them.

Bardot turned his head towards Mrs. Sanchez. He grinned evilly at her and walked over to her. He rubbed the side of his face and body against her like he was a cat. As he walked over a little more, he wrapped his tail around her legs almost affectionately. Mrs. Sanchez looked like she wanted to kick him away, but she refrained from doing so. Terry thought that was the better move. They had no idea what this guy was going to do with them. And kicking him, well it might end up disasterous for them...

Bardot sat down on his haunches and said to Mrs. Sanchez, “Since all my victims are dead, I guess you know what that means, hmm?” He leaned in a little closer, that eerie smile spreading even more. “Your ex-husband is gone. I made short work of him.” Mrs. Sanchez’s face paled at this. “But don’t worry, I kept a piece of him right here...” He pointed his claw at the tooth around his neck.

“You...you....” Mrs. Sanchez said in a low whisper.

Bardot laughed and walked away. He took notice of Terry and looked up at her. He grinned darkly at her. Terry didn’t like the way he was looking at her. It was like he knew something about her, something that he could use against her. But what? She would have asked, but she was afraid to speak up.

Bardot turned and walked away. He gave her one last glance before he focused his attention back on the parents.

“In case you are wondering...” Bardot said. His voice was cruel and icy. “Draow is the one who kidnapped dear Rudy and Penny.” The way he said ‘dear’ was in a definite mocking voice. “I sent him to nab them. You see, he has a bit of a grudge against them, and capturing the two did work in my favor.”

Mr. Tabootie narrowed his eyes. “What could our children have done to that...that winged monster?!”

“Oh quite a lot. Oh!” Bardot put his paw over his mouth. “You don’t know do you?” He feigned surprise, his eyes widened. Then he started to laugh. “Oh that’s right. Your children tell you lies to keep this place secret. I’m sure you want to talk to them after this is all done, don’t you?”

Terry narrowed her eyes at the zoner. So did the parents. This guy was shaping up to be a real asshole. Mocking them like that...

Suddenly, something clicked in the back of Mrs. Tabootie’s mind. “Draow...wait a minute! That’s the beast that worked for Mr. Cosmo!”

The other two parents gasped in horror at this, realization settling in. They looked each other, their eyes wide and faces growing paler by the second. Terry realized, from looking at their expressions, that they have dug a little further than they should have.

“Why yes, you are correct on that. Draow did work for Mr. Cosmo. He was his creator...as he is mine. Mr. Cosmo is long dead, and Draow, well...” Bardot turned to each parent and then said, “He blames your children for that, but none more so...than Rudy Tabootie...”

“Rudy...” Mr. and Mrs. Tabootie whispered in a frightened voice, their eyes growing big.

“Draow really wants your son to pay for what he did, or rather, what he blames Rudy for doing.” Bardot stared intently at the couple, chuckling darkly. “Draow is too obsessed with revenge, but hey, I can use it to my advantage. He helps me with capturing more victims, and he gets his revenge on both Rudy Tabootie..and Penny Sanchez.”

“What have you done to them...?” Mr. Tabootie asked, narrowing his eyes. “Tell us!”

Bardot turned and started to walk towards the door. “We had a little fun with them. Well fun for us...” He looked back, giving the adults a sideways glance. “Not so much for them.” He smirked at the horrified reactions from the parents. “Why don’t I show you?”

He disappeared out of the door, but that lasted only a few seconds. He came back in, pushing a squeaky television set on wheels. He moved it into the middle of the room. He positioned it so that they all could see the screen just fine.

Terry watched as Bardot went to the front of the television and pressed a single button. She was immediately horrified by what she saw.

The screen was split down the middle, and was a little out of focus. Just one color, a pale blue. And there were wavy lines going up and down. But there was no doubt what they were seeing on screen. Rudy and Penny...and they were both barely conscious on the ground. Darkened areas that they knew was blood, and the injuries...oh man the injuries...

Terry was in absolute shock. How...how could anyone be this cruel? She stared as Rudy and Penny writhed on the ground in agony, a clear sign that they were still awake, but in great pain. She looked over at the parents. They were staring in horror, tears flowing down their faces.

“Penny!” Mrs. Sanchez cried.

“Rudy!” Mr. and Mrs. Tabootie shouted in unison.

“Oh and guess what?” Bardot said, moving his face close to the screen. He took his talon and pressed it against the monitor. He traced along, cutting through the image of Rudy and Penny. “They only have three hours left to live... After that, their injuries will kill them. Draow and I were having a little...too much fun with them.”

Terry and the parents glared hatefully at Bardot. But none of them spoke. The revelation of what happened to Rudy and Penny was too much of a shock and too emotionally damaging. The parents just looked back at the screen, weeping as they saw their children in such great pain, and there was nothing they could do to save them. And knowing they were going to die soon...

“I will leave you four here. In the mean time, I think I will keep the monitor in here.” Bardot said. As he stood in the door way, he looked back at them again. “That way...when your children die...you will be able to witness it.” His pupils shrank as a psychotic smile spread across his face.

Then he left, leaving behind the horrified adults.


	40. At Long Last

Snap hung on tightly to the weak branch that grew out of the side of the cliff. He stared down, wincing in fear at the sight of the jagged rocks below. It was worse when he saw more boulders go down this way. They pounded on the edge right above him, and he knew the volcano was trying to knock him over still. The boulders would fall and the rocks down below....they were so sharp the boulders were sliced in half.

He wished he had been able to move faster. He wished he had found a way off of the ice wall before it poured out over the edge. Right next to him, he could see the shimmering white stream as it continued to flow downwards, covering the landscape below. Snap, at the last second, managed to grab a lonely branch growing out the side. The roots wouldn’t hold for much longer, and he would need a way to get out of here, and fast.

But how was he going to get up from this? The boulders were still coming. He didn’t know how long the volcano was going to keep this up. Then a dark realization settled in. The volcano must know that he was hanging onto the branch, like somehow it could still ‘see’ him, and it was either trying to finish him off...or it was wasting his time so he wouldn’t be able to save his friends. Or, likely, both.

Snap looked around in desperation. He stared in fear as the branch was giving way even more. Snap pressed his feet against the wall, careful not to aggravate his injuries more. He attempted to pull himself up, but the branch started to break and he fell down. He whimpered as he looked down below where his grave might end up being. The realization started to settle in, that this might be where he’ll breathe his last. He might of failed to save his friends after all, and that made him shed a few tears.

He had tried so hard to save Rudy, Penny, Rapsheeba, and Blocky. He had endured all this danger, managed to escape some terrifying deathtraps, and now here he was, dangling over the edge of a cliff on a weak branch with no way out. None that he could immediately see anyway. And he knew it was just a matter of time before the branch would break and he’d fall down to his death. He didn’t know how he was going to get out of this one.

He couldn’t believe that it would all be over right now, when he had only one more game left to play. Just one more... He was so close... Being struck down on the second to the last game was more heart wrenching to him than it would have been in an earlier game. It hurt more to die here than, say, game three or four, because he had endured so much, and he was getting so close to saving his friends, or at least very least, seeing them again. But the thought of dying here, and never seeing them again, it was very depressing. Especially since he hadn’t seen Rudy and Penny since that one meeting they had with Skrawl...

Snap wondered how far Skrawl had gotten to figuring everything out. He wondered if he took notice of the games.. Oh yes he must have seen them, the deathtraps that were sprung. No doubt he was aware of the lava and fire on the golf course, the little bots shooting lasers, the sinkhole that appeared out of nowhere... He wasn’t sure if Skrawl could do anything to help, but maybe, after all this is over, if he ended up failing, maybe Skrawl could take over and try to stop Draow and Bardot. The jellybean did have a lot more people working for them than Bardot and Draow did, or at least that’s what Snap was hoping.

Snap could only hope that Bardot hadn’t tried anything against Skrawl. He might very well know that he was investigating. Snap wasn’t sure if Skrawl did anything that Bardot didn’t like. He hadn’t been able to get in contact with the jellybean for days. He may have made great strides in finding out what’s going on. Maybe he was able to talk to someone who, somehow, witnessed Draow or Bardot somewhere. Maybe he even got their location.

It was a bit comforting for Snap to know that, if he failed, there would be others who would try to stop Draow and Bardot. Yet, he hoped that it wouldn’t come to that. He didn’t want others to put their lives on the line to stop these guys. He hoped that, somehow, he would be the one to bring them down. He didn’t want others to suffer from this.

He glared at the branch he was holding onto. Yes, he would find a way out of here. Yeah, he was tired, thirsty, and hungry, and he was in pain from his injuries. But there was one thing Bardot couldn’t shatter. And that was his hope. He would do whatever it takes to find them and save them. And he knew Bardot knew that very well. He was so close...and soon, Snap would face the monster himself. And when he did, he would make Bardot pay. Oh how he would make him pay...

Snap looked at the white stream again. He stared down as it filled the gorge below. It formed an icy landscape practically hugging the sharp rocks. There was a lot of ice too, and he noticed it was traveling through the gorge itself. One thing he took notice of...it wasn’t being sliced up by the rocks. Maybe the ice was just too hard and slippery for the rocks. Strange, but that was what he was witnessing.

Snap thought for a moment. He did need a way to get out of here, and climbing back up wasn’t working. He needed another way, and the ice wall was right next to him. If he gathered enough strength, he could throw himself back on the ice wall and slide down.... It would be like skiing almost, but instead it would be for his life. One slip up, and he would be a goner...

Having no other choice, that is exactly what he did.

Snap began to swing on the branch. He pushed himself forward and back. He didn’t have a lot of strength left, he realized, and he knew this might use up what little remained. But he had no choice. He continued to swing himself back and forth. And when he believed he had enough strength stored up, he knew he had to take a chance. If he missed his jump, he would fall to his death... Gathering up as much courage as he could, Snap let go.

He sailed through the air and hit the side of the ice wall. He started to slip down towards the jagged rocks below. He let out a scream, realizing he might have miscalculated his jump. In desperation, he hung onto the ice wall as he started sliding down along its side. He found it hard to get a grip and he found himself sliding at astonishing speed down to the jagged rocks where the ice had flowed through. He could see an exceptionally sharp rock in his path, and if he didn’t move, he would be sliced in half.

Kicking his legs and struggling to pull himself up, Snap managed to get back on top of the ice wall just as he came up to the jagged rock. He howled in pain as he felt it graze his back. He was thrust into the ice face first. He groaned as he rubbed his injured face, feeling a little blood dripping down the corner of his mouth. He looked over and his eyes widened at what he saw.

Up ahead, multiple sharp rocks seemed to grow out of the ice. The ice had formed around these, creating what looked like an obstacle course, only much more dangerous than a real one. And at the moment, he was sliding right for another jagged rock. He did manage to move out of the way, but just barely, and that was just one of many he would have to dodge.

There was little traction on the ice. He would constantly slip and fall. He aggravated his injuries a few times doing this. Yet he had no choice. He couldn’t just lay there and get hit. He soon found it easier going on all fours, like how he did...or rather his body did, when he and that bull switched minds. Putting equal pressure on all four limbs helped distribute the weight more equally and made his injuries a little easier to bear as a whole.

As the rocks came, he moved from left to right, whichever way he needed to dodge. It would have been quite fun and exciting if his life wasn’t on the line. The slippery ice still made it hard to stand up, even on all fours, most of the time. And there were a few times where he slipped and fell, hitting his chin hard on the ice. He got grazed by a few more sharp rocks, and he cried out as his side injury was reopened and he got a new gash on his left arm. Deep cuts, causing blood to pour out profusely, and he wouldn’t doubt they’d get infected.

The ice wall made some twists and turns up ahead, and he was reminded of the tunnel he fell through. And when the ice wall did a loop in the air, his eyes widened in horror. Unable to stop himself, he slid over the lip. There wasn’t enough force to go all the way and, in the middle of it, he fell down and landed on his back, hard. He let out a groan of pain as he continued to slide down further. The force of the impact nearly knocked him unconscious and, for a few precious seconds, he wasn’t completely aware of his surroundings.

He looked around, his eyes halfway closed. His vision was blurred for a moment. Then, soon, everything came into focus. Groaning, he lifted up his head and saw he was headed towards a sharp, jagged rock. The mugginess in his head slowly cleared and he gasped in horror. He shifted his body to the side and managed to dodge, but only just barely. He shivered as he realized just how close he was to being sliced in half.

This ice ‘ride’ continued on for a few minutes before he finally saw something different. The ice wall had eventually turned abruptly, moving along the edge of the canyons before going off in a new direction. And, having no choice, Snap went along for the rest of this hell of a ride.

Then, finally, at the end, the ice wall curved upwards slightly. It was almost like a slide, only this slide didn’t have any soft sand or shredded tires to land safely on. Snap’s eyes widened for a moment and then he shut them, preparing for the inevitable. Seconds later, he felt his body being flung in the air. He flew up pretty high and, only for a second, did he dare to open his eyes.

Even in just that moment, he recognized where he was. He had been taken to the Mumbo Jumbo Jungle. He was sailing over the trees and the exotic foliage. And soon, due to gravity, he was coming crashing down. He let out a scream and braced himself for impact.

And when he came, he howled in pain. He crashed against the top of a tree. The branches cut into his body, creating small bleeding marks. He fell down, slamming against branch after branch. Then finally he fell out of the tree and landed on the ground. He slammed into the ground onto his shoulders, upside down. He let out a groan and laid there, trying to bear the pain that swelled through his body right now.

There was no way he would ever want to go through something like that again. The fall aggravated his injuries, and right now, he was frozen in pain. Even just a little move would cause him to groan in agony. Looking next to him, he could see a card, one that he knew that Bardot had left for him.

After a few minutes of trying to ride out the pain, Snap started to move a little. Each move made him hiss in pain, but slowly, surely, he managed to get his whole body on the ground, and then right himself up. He turned to the card, the one that he knew would lead him to the final game. He let that sink in for a moment. There was just...one more game left to play.

His whole body ached. He couldn’t help but wonder if he would even survive the last game. He was thirsty... Well he was in the jungle and there was a river nearby. He could get a drink here....provided this is the location of the final game. He glared at the card and started to read it.

It said:

“Pride can kill the best of us  
Slamming with the force of a bus  
Someone new who came  
Your friend’s ego was hard to tame  
What you saw as beauty, he saw as competition  
Your support of the new made his anger come into fruition  
But in the land of the wild  
Even he had to admit his temper was a bit much for a child”

Snap was thankful that he didn’t take long to figure out this riddle. He was surprised he knew it quickly. But the talk of competition, of egos, there was one incident he could recall where Rudy did act this way. It wasn’t one of his best moments, and he had moved from the incident. Snap didn’t blame him, though. After all, he was only ten years old when this happened.

By the end of the riddle, Snap recalled the incident where Rudy’s little cousin Sophie had gotten into ChalkZone. Rudy had been trying to get her out of ChalkZone before his aunt and mother noticed she was gone. Rudy was very worried about her and thought she was going to get hurt.

But despite his fears, he also seemed to have a bit of an attitude problem. Whenever he referred to the toddler’s drawings as ‘art’, Rudy got really upset. It was clear to Snap that Rudy was somehow jealous of his little cousin. It might have been because he was so used to others praising his work, that when attention was given to someone else, he felt wronged. It was such a silly thing to believe and Rudy had come to terms with that not long after the incident.

Snap thought about the line ‘land of the wild’, and realized it had to have been talking about the Mumbo Jumbo Jungle...which he was currently in. He was surprised. Usually the notes were left in places further away from the next game. Unless the note was referring to a specific part of this jungle. It was huge and there were multiple places he could go. Maybe the note was referring to where Rudy and Sophie had first entered the jungle.

He looked around. If that were the case, then he had a bit of a ways to go to the next game. He had to get moving now. He didn’t have a lot of time left to save his friends. He got up to his feet. He took a few steps, wobbling from the pain he was in. He did manage to find yet another walking stick for him to use. The stick made it easier for him to walk a little faster. He headed in the direction where he remembered Rudy and Sophie being in at the very start of their little rendevous with the jungle.

He did manage to find a small stream. It wasn’t much, but it would have to do. He knelt down and put his hands on the water. Cupping some of it in his hands, he drank some of it. The thought of it being tainted did cross his mind, but if Bardot really wanted to face him in the end, he had doubts he would poison him when he was so close to facing him. He knew Bardot really wanted to fight him, and would rather keep him alive.

He was hungry, but there was nothing he could do about that. He settled with the water. After he drank a little, feeling a little more hydrated, he started to press on. He didn’t get much energy from the water, but at least now there was a little less chance of him fainting when he went to face Draow and Bardot. And after he beat them, he and his friends could start to recover.

Trying to steer clear of the wild inhabitants wasn’t easy. He almost had a few run ins with some of the more vicious locals. But luckily, they seemed preoccupied with something else. He felt a little safer as he trudged through..until he heard the sound of teeth gnashing on bone. His eyes flew open. The reason the beasts weren’t going after him..was because they had found other victims.

Snap’s heart started to race. He knew it couldn’t be Rudy or Penny, but what if these were the remains of Blocky and Rapsheeba? He soon pushed those thoughts out of his head. He couldn’t jump to conclusions like that. Still, these beasts...they could be eating the remains of discarded victims Bardot had killed. How many zoners had he murdered? He might have killed a lot more, and he didn’t know about it. Bardot may have been keeping it a secret this whole time.

Snap soon came to the right spot. He could see the note sticking out of the ground, among a group of thorny flowers. He reached down, wincing as the thorns cut into his hand. Just like Bardot to make the last note the hardest one to get. He managed to yank it out, but not before getting a few thorns stuck in his hand. After carefully removing the thorns from his hand, he started to read the note.

“Well you finally made it. This is the final game. And by the end, you will be shown the way to your friends. The object of the game here is jump rope, but with a twist. The rope is a snake, and it has an appetite for little zoners like yourself. Be careful; it is relentless in its attacks.”

Snap’s eyes widened at this. More running... He was still exhausted from having to outrun the volcano. His legs were hurting. The pain in his leg was getting worse. He didn’t know how fast he could carry himself with the walking stick. And, despite having drank not too long ago, his throat was a little dry. His lungs were still burning a little from all the running he was doing. And now the last game, of course Bardot wouldn’t make things easy for him. Now he was going to be pursued by something that wanted to eat him. And, chances are, the snake was going to be a lot faster than him.

Snap stiffened at the sound of hissing. He looked over above him. Staring down at him with glowing yellow eyes was a snake. It had a very long body. Thickly muscled and yet still thin. The scales shined, flatted smoothly against its body. It opened up his mouth a little and he could see the hideous, sharp teeth. Its dark puple tongue flickered in and out as it started him hungrily. He could see part of its body was hanging low and he guessed this was the part he had to jump over to save himself.

The snake opened its jaws and let out a loud hiss. It pulled its head back and struck down. Snap screamed and dodged to the left. The snake’s jaws clamped against the ground, tearing off grass and dirt and lifted it up. It shook its head from side to side and spat out the dirt, a disgusted look on its face. It turned its attention back to Snap and tried to bite him again. Snap turned and ran away, the snake in hot pursuit.

As Snap ran, trying whatever he could to keep the snake from biting him, including running zigzag to disorient it, he noticed that the snake moved along the trees, like it was a part of it. And it moved along smoothly. It was pretty impressive, the way this snake managed to go from tree to tree without much of a problem. Snap would admire that if he wasn’t about to be eaten by the snake. Once in a while, the hanging part of the snake would strike down at him, forcing him to jump.

Jumping was pretty painful. Each time he did, and he hit the ground, he almost tumbled onto his knees in agony. The jumps were aggravating his injuries more, especially the burn on his foot. No matter how hard he tried, the burned portion of his foot would still bang against the ground, causing him to howl in pain. He managed to press on, but it was hard to block out the throbbing pain he was feeling. He looked behind him, and realized the snake was catching up. Another snap of the jaws, and Snap could feel part of his scarf being torn off. He was yanked back and he fell onto the ground.

The snake moved around, blocking his way out. In a mini coil, Snap looked up in fear as the snake hissed loudly again. It opened its jaws so wide, Snap could see down its throat. It struck forward. Snap jumped out of the way, barely missing being hit. The snake bit down on its self and it let out a shriek of pain. This did gave Snap a little time to get a little further ahead. But that wouldn’t last as the snake came upon him again. It swung its body at him again, and he jumped, grunting in pain as he landed back down.

Snap looked up ahead. He was reaching a part of the jungle where the foliage was really thick. His eyes widened. Would he be able to make it? It wasn’t going to be easy running through that place with the walking stick he was using. He could easily get tangled up in the vines and the branches that interlocked with each other. And there was no other way he could go, not without risking getting caught by the snake.

Then he realized that maybe..maybe this could work to his advantage. As he jumped a few more times as the snake struck out against him, he formulated a plan in his head. Since the snake was so eager to bite into him, it would continue to follow him no matter where he went. Maybe he could...

He didn’t have time to think as he entered the thick foliage. Just like he thought, he wasn’t able to move as fast. But then, neither could the snake. Its body no longer able to hang over and strike out, just the snake’s head came through. It moved with some difficulty through the branches and vines, trying in vain to get at him. Snap had a hard time going through himself. A few times, his stick would get caught and he’d have to dislodge it. And more than once, he had a close call where the snake almost slammed his jaws around him.

The thick foliage went on for a while. Snap dodged left and right as he made his way through, trying to keep to the thickest parts of this patch of plants. He moved upwards in different places and, just like he hoped, the snake kept trying to get at him. If he could just make it through a few more times, he might be able to succeed in what he was trying to accomplish.

Up ahead, he could see the end of the foliage. And when he looked back at the snake, he could see what the effect he wanted was taking place. With the snake constantly following him, matching Snap’s zigzagging moves without hesitation, it was beginning to tie itself in knots in the foliage, in a manner of speaking. It was becoming tangled in the brush and, eventually, it would no longer be able to follow him.

Snap reached the small opening. He dove out. He cried out in pain as he found himself tumbling down a small hill. He rolled across the ground, crying out in pain as his injuries slammed against the harsh, rocky patches of ground. He landed on his injured side and froze there in pain for a few seconds. He forced himself to open his tear-filled eyes and looked back towards the snake.

The head popped out and lashed out towards him. Snap screamed and scrambled to get back. The snake snapped his burned foot and started to pull him up into the air. It shook him a few times before tossing him into the ground. Snap laid there in agony as the snake coiled back and prepared to strike. Unable to move, Snap closed his eyes and looked away, waiting for the blow.

But it never came. Confused, Snap opened his eyes and looked. And that’s when he realized his plan really had worked.

The snake was struggling to get at him. It slammed its jaws shut several times, missing him only by inches. But it could never get much closer. It turned its head towards the bushes and hissed angrily at it. It started to bite the branches and vines and tore them away in an attempt to free itself. Knowing that the snake could be done with this in a short time frame, Snap got up to his feet and started to make his way in the opposite direction, keeping himself a little steady with his walking stick.

Snap ran as fast as he could, wincing and crying out in pain. His injuries were getting worse, and already he was thirsty again. He wanted to try to find something else to drink, but he had no time for that. He didn’t know how long the snake would be distracted.

Suddenly he stopped, frozen in his tracks. He had reached a part of the jungle he did not recognize in any way. It was still the Mumbo Jumbo Jungle. He could tell from the style of the drawings. But this area was unfamiliar to him. He looked around, walking slowly, taking in the sights. He didn’t know if he had reached the right area or not. He didn’t see a card, at least not yet. But if that was the last game, would there even be a card to find?

Then he came across something unexpected. A large rock face, in a style kinda similar to the gola monster he and Penny were swallowed up by once. But this time, the head was shaped more like a rhino’s. It looked sinister...foreboding. He shivered as the eyes looked like they were staring right down at him. This place gave him scary vibes, and that was when he realized something.

Could this be the place?

It didn’t take long for him to find his answer. A small note on the ground with not many words written on it. He picked it up and read it. It only had three words.

“You are here.”

Snap let that sink in for a moment. He looked up at the rhino-like structure. He shivered in its presence. It definitely looked and felt like a place that Bardot would have taken his friends. The realization that he, after all this time, had finally made it, swept through him. If he weren’t in so much pain and so filled with worry right now, he’d be smiling. He had managed to beat the odds and now, at last, he was here.

Snap headed towards the rhino shaped entrance. He pushed against the thick vines, managing to squeeze by them. And as he entered, he was immediately greeted with tunnels and darkness, barely lit by the torches. Although he had made it, he realized he needed to find out where his friends were being held. But how would he find them in this place? He had no idea where he needed to go.

Snap wandered down the tunnels, randomnly picking which direction to go. He couldn’t see any markings on the walls, at least nothing all that meaningful to him. He kept his eyes and ears open, trying to find any signs of his friends. He tried to hear anything, a moan, some indication that they were alive and waiting for him. But so far, there was nothing but silence. He couldn’t even hear the growls or chuckles from his enemies, whom he knew were expecting him here.

This place was dark and twisted, and it wasn’t like it had a creepy design similar to Mr. Cosmo’s. This place managed to be creepy all on its own simply with the way it was laid out and the way it looked. He had no idea how big this place really was, and he had no idea how far he’d have to walk before he found anyone. He had a feeling he was going to get lost unless he found a map of some kind. But knowing Bardot, he wasn’t going to be so lucky.

After a few minutes of walking, he came down to a lower area with three different tunnels to take. He took the one on the far left and headed down that way. As he walked down, he could hear the splashing of water, which made him shudder. It didn’t help that the splashing was accompanied by some sparks of electricity. And soon, after he walked for a few minutes, he came into a long tunnel with cells on both sides. Snap’s eyes widened in horror as he saw just how many of them there were. There had to be at least twenty in this room.

He moved quickly through the tunnel, his mind filled with apprehension as he looked around nervously at the cells. Just looking at them reminded him so much of Mr. Cosmo. He could picture himself in each of these cells, on the ground in agony. He didn’t want to be here... He moved out of the tunnel as fast as he could, and soon came to a two way path. This time, he took the path to the right.

And as he entered, he heard could hear moans and crying. He thought at first they were his friends, but they didn’t sound like them. They sounded..different. Curious, he continued down, wondering who else had been captured by Bardot. He soon came upon a door. It seemed almost out of place; he hadn’t spotted any other doors in this network of caves so far. He put his hand on the door and, slowly, opened it.

His eyes widened at what he saw.

There, hanging on the walls, were four adult humans. Four that he recognized immediately. Rudy’s parents...Penny’s mom...and Terry Bouffant. They were chained against the wall by their arms, secured over their heads. All of them had injuries on them, covered in cuts and bruises and their clothes were slightly torn. The parents looked like they had been crying for some time.

His arrival in the room prompted the adults to see him. The parents, at first, reacted in fear. They looked at him with wide eyes and struggled a little against their chains.

“No! Stay back!” Mrs. Tabootie shouted. “I’m warning you!”

“Not another one!” Mrs. Sanchez joined in.

Snap put his hands out in front of him and took a few steps back. “Whoa there! I’m not going to hurt you!”

“Yeah right...” Mr. Tabootie said bitterly. “Every one of you zoners we came across had tried to attack us!”

Before Snap could say anything, Terry spoke up.

“Cool it, you guys.” Terry said. She looked down at Snap. She had a small smile on her face. Rather than a scheming one like Snap was used to, it was a smile that clearly showed happiness. Relief that he was there. And seeing the condition she was in, Snap wasn’t that surprised. “That’s Snap White. He’s friends with Rudy and Penny. He’s not one of the bad guys. You can trust him.”

Snap was a little surprised that Terry was defending him like that. But then, given the situation she was in, he knew that she knew it was best to tell the truth. She was in danger as well, and, at the moment, he was their only chance at getting free. He looked up at their chains and winced. Could he even remove them?

The parents calmed down a little. They still looked at him suspiciously. They never took their eyes off him, making Snap feel a little uncomfortable. He tried his best not to show his nervousness, afraid that it might send off the wrong signals. He would have asked how they came here, but he had a pretty good idea. Terry must have took them here to find Rudy and Penny, and they got captured by Draow. That was pretty evident, given what he was seeing here.

He would have asked them where Rudy and Penny were, but it was unlikely that they would know. And even if they did, he wasn’t sure if they would have told him. From the sound of it, they had not yet met a friendly zoner and, after seeing them in this condition, he could see why they would be wary of him.

“Hey, Snap. Do you think you can get us down?” Terry asked. She pulled on her chains. “Maybe find the key or something.”

“Finding the key would be the better option. There’s no way I can pull those chains out.” Snap took note of the metal chains holding the adults to the wall. “I will free you guys later. First, I need to find Rudy and Penny. There’s...” His eyes watered as the realization started to come to him. “..there’s only two hours left to save them...”

Although she still looked distrustful of him, Mrs. Sanchez said, “They’re..not in the greatest condition...” Her voice was filled with sadness.

“Did Bardot tell you?” Snap asked, turning his head towards her.

Mrs. Sanchez shook her head. “No. He didn’t tell us. He showed us.” With that, she made a gesture with her head, motioning for Snap to turn around.

When he did, he was appalled at what he saw. Bardot had pushed in a television set that showed both Rudy and Penny. Seeing their injuries, watching them struggle in pain, it made Snap’s heart clench. This was...this was worse than he had imagined. And how sick could Bardot have to be to show the parents this? What a low, disgusting blow...to taunt them like this... Anger burned inside of Snap as his hands shook in anger.

Snap headed towards the door. He stopped and looked behind. Everyone but Terry still looked at him with suspicion. He didn’t complain. Right now, it didn’t matter if the parents trusted him or not. He had to find Rudy and Penny. The adults would be fine for now. At the moment, all the focus was on him and his friends. They would be spared for now, and they hadn’t suffered nearly as many dangerous injuries. He can come back for them later.

He had finally arrived at this place. He didn’t know where his friends were, but he would find them. Eventually, if he walked around this place enough, if he moved fast enough, he would find them, and then he would make Draow and Bardot pay for what they have done. He had defeated the games, and now it was time for the ‘boss battles’, so to speak. They weren’t going to be able to keep him down.

“I am going to find Rudy and Penny.” Snap said before he left the room. As he spoke, there was a clear indication of determination in it. “I will save them. I promise you..I will save them. And I will get you out of here.” He paused for a moment. He looked back and gave them what could be described as a heroic smile. “And I will make sure Bardot and Draow never hurts them, or you, ever again.”

As Snap walked out of the door, the adults looked on after him. The parents looked at each other. They still weren’t sure, but there was a sense of hope returning to their faces. Snap’s words had started to sink a little. They knew that Snap, as much as they weren’t sure what to think about him, regardless of him being Rudy’s drawing, was their only hope now.

Giving a small smile, Terry said in a soft voice, “If I know you Snap, and I do... I know you will succeed.”


	41. You Will Pay For Doing This

Skrawl stood in the middle of his jail. His hand was on his hip, and his foot tapped. He glared at the warden in front of him. Two of his Beanie Boys had the warden secured. It would seem that he had made the right judgmental call. This warden really was a spy of sorts, and he had been a major player in the freeing of Draow. And he had been going around ChalkZone, doing who knows what when no one was looking.

The fool had tried to off him. This Bardot guy, he clearly knew that Skrawl had figured some things out and tried to off him. And when the warden came in, trying to sneak attack him, Skrawl had been prepared. Beanie Boys who had been hiding out of sight lunged at the warden.

And now here he was, standing before him, restrained. The other wardens were shocked by this, not realizing they had been working with an enemy this whole time. This warden seemed to highly rated and trustworthy for sometime now, too. It came as a shock that this guy was really one of the bad guys and was conspiring with Bardot. He wouldn’t say why, though, pretty much spitting in Skrawl’s direction as a way of showing how little he thought of him.

Skrawl could have struck out against him, but he didn’t. He just stared down at the warden with a displeased look. This warden should have known he wouldn’t be able to get the best of him. Skrawl was no fool. He was smarter than this warden apparently thought he was. This warden was such a fool to think he could get the best of him that easily.

The warden refused to give any details on the locations of Rudy and Penny, and had even outright mocked Skrawl about it, telling him that he wouldn’t be able to find them no matter how hard he looked. He had also reminded Skrawl that he himself had been the kids’ enemy once and asked him why he even cared about them now. Skrawl replied by telling him to shut up and that it was none of his business what his relationship with the teenagers were.

Skrawl gave one last scowl at the warden before he turned his back. He folded his arms behind his back and gave a single command to the Beanie Boys holding him.

“Get him out of my sight. Lock him up in our strongest cell.”

“Uhh...boss?” One of the Beanie Boys said. “That cell was damaged, remember? Draow was...”

Skrawl whipped around and snarled at the Beanie Boy. “I meant our second strongest cell, you dolt!” The Beanie Boys looked at him in fright. Skrawl bared his teeth as he took a step forward. He pointed a finger in their direction. “Now get going!”

“Yes sir!” The other Beanie Boy said. With that, the two took off with the warden.

“You will never be able to beat Bardot, you stupid jellybean!” The warden cried as he was dragged down the hallway. “No one can! Soon you will all answer to him!”

Skrawl couldn’t be happier when the warden’s voice faded until he could hear it no more. He turned to the other wardens and glared at them. “Get back to work!” He shouted at them before turning and walking away, going back towards his office.

He wasn’t worried if Bardot had seen what happened. In fact, there was no way he could have. Skrawl had visited Barney and Mumbo Jumbo at the hospital. After Mumbo Jumbo informed him of his encounter with Bardot and how he managed to teach him a lesson, they started to have a discussion on just what to do with Bardot. Skrawl talked to Barney more about the purple chalk and where it could be found. Barney had little information other than Bardot kept one of the very few pieces in his lair so no one could use it against him.

He also told Skrawl about how Bardot had zoner usable chalk, the blue chalk, and how Bardot had a few small pieces of it that he used to create this grand scheme of his. After he looked through his own database, Barney was able to conclude that the blue and purple chalk weren’t actually found in the Chalk Mine, but in other places of ChalkZone, explaining why Biclops didn’t know of either.

The zoner usable chalk sounded intriguing to Skrawl. But also frightening. He knew what this meant. Bardot was even more dangerous than before. A zoner with the power of a creator... and access to the real world. He needed to be stopped and fast. But with all these cameras around...it was going to be hard to formulate a plan of any kind. He could go to the hospital and speak, but he also wanted to feel safe and secure in his own prison and not worry about some crazy zoner watching him all the time.

That was when Barney mentioned something about EMP waves. Skrawl knew a thing or two about how to build those, and while it meant damaging his own cameras, he felt it was worth it in the end. He could always get new cameras. Right now, it was more important to create more blind spots for Bardot. The less eyes he had floating around ChalkZone, the better.

So he had taken the time to create an EMP pulser that would constantly send the waves through the jail. It did make all security cameras go offline, like he thought it would. But it did destroy any nano camera that happened to be in the area. He knew it was working because every so often, he’d see a sparkle and hear a pop and then something tiny would fall on the ground. Now he was able to make plans without Bardot being able to spy on him. Any nano camera that got close would be destroyed by the EMP pulser.

Skrawl wasn’t entirely sure what he was going to do next, though. He wasn’t sure still where Bardot’s hideout was. And he couldn’t very well send his Beanie Boys out to find it. It would make the situation worse. What he needed was a way to figure out where this guy would be hiding and head there undetected somehow. But how? Maybe an underground tunnel might do.

Hmm...he would need to talk to Barney more about this. And that meant having to go to the hospital to talk to him. He wasn’t about to make the injured centipede come all the way over to his jail to speak. His prison...wasn’t exactly the nicest place for an ailing zoner like Barney to be. Especially after he had almost been killed by Bardot relatively recently.

Skrawl felt a little bad for going to Barney for even more information. He must be reminding him of Bardot. But it was important that he get as much information as possible. And Barney, out of all the zoners he knew, understood Bardot the most and would know more about his motives and plans than anyone else he knew. Barney might have an idea of where Bardot’s hideout is and be able to give suggestions on how to get there without the cameras noticing.

Skrawl glanced up at the clock. Yeah, it was time for another visit to Barney. King Mumbo Jumbo might not be happy to see him again since he was concerned for Barney and all these questions might upset the centipede more. During his last visit, the king almost cut the questions short because Barney was uncomfortable with talking about anything Bardot-related. But even the kind had to know the seriousness of the situation and how important it was to stop Bardot. And Barney could help bring him down with that wealth of knowledge of his.

Making up his mind, Skrawl headed out of his prison. He turned in the direction of the hospital and began to walk in its direction. He had hope that, soon, Bardot would be stopped and Draow recaptured. He also hoped that it wasn’t too late to save Rudy, Penny, and Snap. He had no idea just how bad off they were. But if there was one thing he knew about them, it was that they weren’t so easy to take down.

But he could only hope that their luck hadn’t run out yet.

sss

Snap wandered down the hallways some more. He had gone back the way he came after reaching a deadend in the other direction. Walking past the door with the adults was a little hard for him. He knew he was leaving them behind rather than helping. But what could he do? He needed to get Rudy and Penny out of here first. He needed to get them to safety. They were in peril. Their lives were almost over. He had to focus as much time right now in finding them and rescuing them.

He got back to the three way fork. He thought about heading back up, but then he thought about heading down another one of these tunnels. The middle one seemed like a good choice. He didn’t dilly dally. With the walking stick, he moved as fast he could. He was on an urgent mission. He couldn’t stop for rest. Not now.

Again, he was at unease with all these cells, clearly designed to mimic Mr. Cosmo’s cells. The same types that he had been trapped in... He shook his head. No, he had to focus. He continued walking, making sure not to look at any of the cells. He had to see if Rudy or Penny were down this way. If this tunnel was the same length as the other, then as long as he kept up the pace, then he would be able to search these tunnels and still have some time left to go help his friends.

He continued walking forward. His eyes narrowed. He focused on the path ahead of him. He kept his eyes looking straight at the end of the tunnel, where he could go left or right. He didn’t stop for anything. He did his best to ignore the sparking water splashing all around him. He tried his best to put it in the back of his mind. He fought back against the horrible memories of Cosmo that were trying to push their way to the front of his mind.

Then, he saw movement. He froze. At first, he thought it was Rudy or Penny, but when he looked, that isn’t who he saw. His eyes slowly widened. Could it be...?

“Blocky?!” Snap cried. He crushed to the cell. He kept his distance, not wanting to get hit by the water and electricity. He looked into the cell. “Is that you?” After a pause, he said, “Rapsheeba?”

There, laying in the middle of the cell, were Rapsheeba and Blocky. Snap was thankful that neither of them looked like they had been harmed too much during their stay here. But that wasn’t completely comforting; that meant that more of Bardot’s focus had been on Rudy and Penny, and their condition in that video...it made him shudder.

Still, it was great that he was able to find some of his friends in this hellhole. And even better that Rapsheeba and Blocky weren’t more injured than they already were.

Rapsheeba was staring at him, her eyes wide in shock. Then, slowly, a smile spread across her face. She looked really happy to see him, and relieved. And Blocky...he was laying on the ground, moaning in pain. Rapsheeba was knelt down next to him, gently holding him in her arms. One of his eyes were open and looked in Snap’s direction. He smiled the best he could and he waved a hand at him.

“I see you were able to get here.” Rapsheeba said, smiling. “I knew you could do it.”

Snap gave her a small smile. “Thanks, queenie.” He looked down at Blocky. “How are you feeling?”

Blocky coughed a little in pain. “I’ve seen better days, that’s for sure.”

“Have you found Rudy and Penny yet?” Rapsheeba asked.

Snap frowned sadly and shook his head. “No I haven’t.” Snap looked around the cell, trying to find something. “Hold on, I’ll have you guys out of there soon!”

Snap looked at the cell from top to bottom. Somewhere, he knew Bardot have to have installed a button. Somewhere out of reach for prisoners, but something easy for him to get to. Snap had a feeling Bardot would want the buttons to be easily accessible to him so he could quickly lock up zoners and humans in his cell. So it couldn’t be too far away. Something close...

And there it was. It was located right in front of the cell, on the ground. Clever spot for it. Easy to reach, obviously. And there was no way a human or zoner could reach it. It was placed too far, and each cell had a water bar extremely close to the floor. No one could fit their hand through there. At least, no one he knew. He walked up to the button and he pressed down on it. In a blip kind of sound, the bars shut down.

Snap wasn’t sure how safe it was for Blocky and Rapsheeba to wander around, but he had a feeling that, right now, Draow and Bardot would be more focused on him than on their prisoners. Snap figured that they believed they could always recapture them later. Right now, they were more interested in getting him. Snap was their ‘prize’ right now. So he could keep their focus on him. And he did have a score to settle with Draow and Bardot. He had said he was going to make them pay, and that is exactly what he intended to do.

Snap thought back to the adults. He still felt bad for leaving them there. Then he realized something. With him distracting Draow and Bardot, it could be possible that, now freed, Blocky and Rapsheeba could go free the adults. He wasn’t sure if they could get them out of the place, but at least they couldn’t be chained up anymore. He did have a brief worry that the parents would distrust Blocky and Rapsheeba, but considering Terry stood up for him back there, she may do the same for his two friends.

“Blocky, Raspheeba...” Snap said, looking at his friends.

The two of them took a step towards him. Blocky had a bit of trouble due to a damaged leg, but, compared to Snap, he was in pretty good shape. Rapsheeba was in even better shape. Snap had a feeling that, had he lost the game or waited much longer, they both would have wound up in the same condition as Rudy and Penny were currently in. The thought made him shudder.

Snap stood there for a moment, narrowing his eyes. Then he turned his head down the hallway he had just come. “Go down that way.” He pointed with his hand. “And when you get to the end, make a right and go down that hallway. All the way to the end, and make another right. There are some other prisoners there. Go free them. Bardot and Draow will be too busy with me to really notice.”

“Other prisoners?” Blocky asked. He looked at Rapsheeba nervously and then back at Snap. “Who are they?”

Snap paused for a moment. His expression softened up. “Rudy’s parents...Penny’s mom...and Terry Bouffant.”

“What?!” Blocky and Rapsheeba’s eyes went wide.

Rapsheeba stammered. “You mean..he got them too..?”

Snap nodded his head slowly. “Yeah. I don’t know how exactly they found a way into ChalkZone. But that doesn’t matter right now. What does matter is that they are trapped here too. And I think we can all be sure that Bardot and Draow will do horrible things to them if they are kept here too long. It is best to get them out. I want you two to free them and try to lead them outside of the temple.”

Blocky and Rapsheeba looked at each other nervously. It was clear they weren’t sure if this was a good idea or not. He couldn’t blame them. Despite his assurances that they would be undetected, there was still that risk nonetheless. And they were both hurt. He wasn’t sure how well they would be able to stand up to Draow or Bardot should they be found out.

Still, it was worth the try. At least right now, they had a chance of escape. And at the moment, the two monsters that caused all of this would be focused on him. They might be so focused on him that they wouldn’t really by much mind to the other prisoners. If there was a security room, he doubted they would be in it. They would have seen he was coming and then taken position to wait for him. Or they would wait until the right time and then show up.

“Just trust me on this guys.” Snap said, trying to reassure them. “Bardot and Draow...they want me right now. I’ll make sure they don’t try to go after you. I’m counting on you two to be able to do this. So please...go find those humans and get them out of that cell, okay?”

Although his friends still looked unsure, they slowly gave small smiles and nodded their heads. Snap smiled back. He knew he could count on them. “Thanks, guys.”

With that, Blocky and Rapsheeba headed down the hallway. He watched as they got to the other end of the tunnel and made the turn like he told them to. He trusted that they would be able to reach the parents quickly and get them out. And hopefully, they could protect each other in case he made a miscalculation and Draow or Bardot did decide to go after them.

Now he had to focus on finding his friends. They were here somewhere. They just had to be here. But where? There was another tunnel he could go down, but it might not even be the right one. A thought crossed his mind. Something he felt he should have realized before. What if Rudy and Penny were being held somewhere else? What if looking down these hallways was useless and they were placed elsewhere in this forsaken place?

That was a possibility. After all, they were ‘special guests’ in Bardot’s eyes. They were ransom, so to speak. He was using them as bait to lure him to this place. And with prisoners as ‘special’ as that, he had a feeling that he would keep them somewhere else, away from these cells.

Thinking back, Snap did recall seeing another tunnel back the way he came, sometime before this three way intersection. There was one hallway that kinda looked like it had rooms. From the angle he was at, it was hard to tell. It was worth looking though. It was a lot of walking back, and it might be a little hard to tredge with his walking stick, but he knew, in the end, it would most likely be worth it. If his friends were back there...

Snap headed back down that way. He came up to the three way intersection and then went up until he reached the higher level, appearing in the same tunnel he was in before. He continued to walk down, trying to take the directions he had before, going down tunnels he had already been to. So far, everything looked the same and he wasn’t able to spot anything out of the ordinary. But he still pressed on. He couldn’t give up on finding his friends. Not now.

But no matter where he walked, he still couldn’t find any signs of other rooms. The tunnels looked like they were just pathways. He found no signs of any rooms, nor could he detect any sign of his friends. And he didn’t have much time left to find them. He had to hurry. He kept walking down the tunnels, making turns based on memory.

Soon, his perserverence began to pay off. He found a section of tunnels he hadn’t yet explored, and these looked like they had been used constantly. He could see claw marks in the ground. Big ones...Possibly from Draow. Yes, he must have been using these particular tunnels a lot. That may mean that Rudy and Penny were nearby. He knew he couldn’t get his hopes up, though. But still...he was so close...he couldn’t help but feel anxiety rise up inside of him. He might, finally, be reunited with his human friends.

Snap headed down a new tunnel. Claw marks everywhere... Definitely in heavy use by Draow. He headed down until the tunnel curved a little. Then he noticed openings in the tunnel walls. Openings that he assumed led into rooms. Yes, they were definitely rooms. Feeling his heart tense up, Snap slowed down his walking and started walking towards the first room.

He stood next to the entrance. He froze there, unsure of whether or not he wanted to look in. Seeing his friend in their horrible conditions was bad enough on the video. He didn’t know how well he could handle it in real life. He swallowed hard, reminding himself that he needed to rescue them. He had to get them out of here...somehow...

Cautiously, Snap peered inside the room. And immediately, his eyes widened in horror at what he saw.

There, in the middle of the room, was Penny. He could see her injuries very clearly now. Her leg was horribly twisted, bone peaking out. A deep gash on her forehead that continued to bleed. Her shoulder was torn open and he could see more bone peaking out. Her collar bone had been shattered. He could see deep gashes in her broken leg. And those weren’t even all of the injuries she had suffered.

Penny’s eyes were barely open and she wasn’t even looking at them. It looked like, at first, she was knocked out, but every so often, she would groan and try to move. She wouldn’t get too far before she’d freeze in obvious pain. There was no way she was getting anywhere in her condition. Her hair, parts of it reddened by blood, covered a part of her face.

Snap stood there, frozen. His thoughts raced. He had finally done it. He had finally reunited with one of his human friends. Here she was, before him, in the flesh. And still alive. She was badly hurt, weak, and terrified, but still alive. Snap had always told himself, as he played these twisted ‘games’, that he would reunite with his friends. But a part of him taunted him, saying that he would fail in the end. It was such a huge wave of relief to know that, by the end of it all, he had made it.

Snap rushed over to Penny’s side. He knelt down next to her and pushed his hand under her head. He lifted it up gently, causing her eyes to flutter open a little. She seemed to notice him, though her eyes were a tad unfocused. She stared at him in surprise, looking like she hardly believed what she saw.

“Hey Buckette...” Snap said in a soft whisper, smiling down at her. “I made it...”

“S-Snap...you’re here...” Penny’s voice was dry and scratchy. “You’re really here..” She reached up and touched his cheek. Snap could feel, just from that, how weak she had gotten during her stay here. “We..we knew you would make it...”

“You did?” Snap asked, his eyes widening a little. “After all this time, you...?”

Penny smiled the best she could. She nodded her head once. “We never gave up on you.. We always knew you would come..”

Snap felt his eyes water. He felt a strong emotion well up inside of him. His friends...they really did believe in him. They counted on him all this time, and no matter how much pain their captors put them through, no matter what their captors threw at them, they never lost hope for him. The realization that Rudy and Penny had that much faith in him made Snap shake a little, but not from fear or pain, but from a strong positive emotion.

They believed in him. They truly, honestly, believed in him. He couldn’t help but smile at this. A few tears streamed down his face. He wasn’t going to let them down now. No way he could. He would see to it that they are saved. He would get them out of this, even if it meant letting out his last breath.

“I’ll get you guys out of here...” Snap lifted Penny’s head up a little more and pressed his face against hers in an attempt to comfort her. “I promise...”

Penny smiled weakly. “I know you will.”

Snap smiled at this, feeling more tears filling up inside his eyes. He then looked up towards the door. He guessed Rudy would be in one of the rooms. He had to be nearby somewhere. He looked down at Penny. He really didn’t want to leave her behind. He didn’t want her to be alone. He had to take her with, but dragging her along, it would be risky. He would have to be very gentle.

Snap smiled at this, feeling more tears filling up inside his eyes. He then looked up towards the door. He guessed Rudy would be in one of the rooms. He had to be nearby somewhere. He looked down at Penny. He really didn’t want to leave her behind. He didn’t want her to be alone. He had to take her with, but dragging her along, it would be risky. He would have to be very gentle.

Being very gentle, Snap slung Penny’s least injured arm over his shoulder. Although he was hurt himself, he knew he had to do this. He had to take Penny with him. He ignored whatever pain he was feeling and, being as gentle as he could, dragged Penny with him. The arm he had chosen was on the same side as her injured leg. Using as much strength as he could, he lifted her up a little, making sure her leg didn’t touch the ground all the way to avoid banging that leg while he took her with him.

Snap headed down the hallway. The process was slow, but it was important that he didn’t hurt Penny further. He stopped for a moment when she let out a few cries of pain. He looked down at her worriedly, eyeing her up and down to try to find any new injuries. Then he would continue on, each time being more cautious than the last.

He walked past two rooms, both of which turned out to be empty. There was still another room up ahead. He hoped that this would be the one. Please, it had to be the one. He didn’t know how long he could keep dragging Penny like this. She was badly hurt. He could be causing her more pain if he dragged her around too much like this. She needed a stretcher or something to get her out of here. Being dragged along the rocky ground, no matter how gentle, couldn’t be doing her any good.

He came up to the last room and looked inside. He felt his heart both leap for joy and break in two. Rudy was in there all right, and he looked much worse than he did in the video. Now he could see the details of his injuries. Broken leg...broken arm...broken hand...twisted wrist...gashes everywhere... It was such a horrible sight. Snap couldn’t stop the tears from flowing down his eyes.

Rudy was absolutely still. Well almost. Once in a while, there was a twitch in his hand, but that was it. Rudy almost looked...dead... A horrible flashback clashed in the back of Snap’s mind. This was similar to how he had been during the Mr. Cosmo incident... So unresponsive, so still... And now Rudy was suffering from a similar fate...

“Rudy...” Snap whispered. Please...let him be okay... “Are you awake...?”

Rudy stirred a little. Snap gave a small smile, realizing that Rudy was still alive. He turned his head to the side, and opened his eyes a little. Rudy’s eyes almost brightened at the sight of his blue friend. “Snap...you’ve made it...”

“Yeah, Rudy...” Snap smiled at his fallen friend. “I’m here now...”

Being as gentle as he could, Snap pulled Penny over towards Rudy. He laid her down next to Rudy, putting her as close as possible. He made sure to lay her on her back. He gently pushed Rudy, who was laying on his side, onto his back as well. This was to make it a little easier for them to breathe. They were so weak right now... being on their stomachs or their sides might hinder their breathing a little and that was the last thing they needed in their condition.

Snap looked down at Rudy. His lower lip quivered as he saw him in such a horrible state. Even worse than Penny... He gazed down at his injuries and his pale face. Just what had Draow and Bardot been doing to him and Penny? Those monsters... To inflict such harm on innocent children for no apparent reason... That was truly sickening.

Rudy hissed in pain. Snap felt his heart clench. Rudy looked up at Snap, his eyes wide in fear. “It was horrible Snap...” His voice was so course, so weak, reminding Snap so much of what he had gone through. “You...you wouldn’t believe how..cruel these two can be... They were trying to break us..”

“And again and again, they’d hurt us. Just because they could.” Penny said, tears flowing down her face. “They kept telling us how we were going to die.” She bit her lip for a moment. “Time was...running out, and they kept reminding us of that. They wanted us to lose all hope.”

“But we didn’t.” Rudy did his best to look up at Snap. His pain-filled eyes stared straight into him. “We never lost hope for you, Snap. That was one thing they could never change. No matter what they did to us...we never stopped believing in you... You’re our best friend...”

“And you’re my best friends too...” Snap whispered. He knelt down, positioning himself between his two friends. “I...I love you guys...”

A small smile came onto his friends’ faces. Though they looked very tired, though it looked like they would lose consciousness any moment, they still remained awake. And he had a feeling..no he knew...it was because he was there. He had finally arrived, and his arrival gave them hope and strength. They knew, with him being there, they were going to be saved.

Penny said softly, “We love you too...”

At this, Snap took in a shaky breath, letting some tears stream down his face. His lips quivered. Unable to hold back, he started to cry as he put his arms around his friends, giving them both half hugs. He was careful to avoid their injuries, such as their damaged shoulders. He pulled them close enough to him so that the sides of their faces touched his.

“Don’t worry you guys...” Snap said, his voice choked with emotion, shaking. “I’ll get you out of here... Everything will be okay now..” He sniffled, the tears starting to sting his face. “It’s going to be okay...”

A cold chuckle filled the room. Snap froze, a chill going up his spine. He felt his friends start to shiver and whimper a little. After what they had been through, they had every right to be afraid.

“I hope you can live up to your promise, Snap.”

Snap felt anger rise up inside of him. He gently released Rudy and Penny. He looked down at them sympathetically. They were clearly frightened by this zoner that had just arrived. They had been tortured by him, as well as his comrade. They had been trapped here for days and subjected to horrific pain. Well now it was all going to end, here and now.

Snap narrowed his eyes as he turned around to face Draow, who stood in the entrance of the room. His tail swished back and forth. He licked his chops eagerly, clearly wanting to tear into Snap. He stared down at Snap, not paying much attention to Rudy or Penny. It was like, in this moment, Snap was the only one who mattered to him.

“I have been waiting for this moment...” Draow said, an evil smile spreading across his face. “I was getting a little bored torturing your friends. I wanted some fresh meat. And here you are.” Snap snarled at him. “I must admit, I am surprised you made it all the way through. Perhaps Bardot was right not to underestimate you..”

“Well at least he did one thing right.” Snap growled under his breath.

Draow narrowed his eyes and bared his teeth. “However that is as far as you are going to get. Your journey ends here, Snap. You are the one who took out my master’s eye. Now it is time for you to get retribution. You will regret what you did.”

Snap took a few steps towards Draow. This time, there was no going back. This time, there wasn’t some dumb radio he used to communicate with. Now he was in the same room as one of these monsters. Now he could make them regret what they did. Now he could do something about what they did to Rudy and Penny.

Now, at last, he could take action.

“You will pay for doing this...” Snap growled under his breath. He took a fighting stance. Even though he was in pain, all that was on his mind right now was facing off against one of the monsters that caused his friends so much pain and agony. “You want me so bad? Come and get me...”

Draow gave a twisted smile, unfurling his wings a little. “Gladly...”

With that, the two rushed towards each other, preparing for the battle they both long waited for.


	42. Guardian Angel

Snap realized, too late, that he really should have thought this through more. He should have realized that, with his injuries, running headon towards Draow was not the best course of action. His reaction times were a little hindered at best, and the pain slowed him down a tad. He was unable to stop himself or get out of the way in time when Draow lifted up his foot and kicked him, slamming his foot on his chest and stomach.

Snap let out a scream as he was thrown backwards. He slammed his back against the wall and slid down. His walking stick was flung to the side. He could hear his friends calling out to him. Their voices were so weak... He shook his head and stared as Draow was barreling towards him, snapping his jaws wildly. Eyes wide, Snap rolled out of the way just as Draow came upon him. Unable to stop himself, Draow slammed against the wall with a loud thud, stunning him just for a moment.

Taking his chance, Snap, ignoring the pain he was in, jumped onto Draow’s neck. He wrapped his arms around his throat and pushed hard. Draow let out a screech and lifted up his head sharply. He shook it from side to side, trying as hard as he could to get the little blue zoner off of him. He snapped his jaws at his sides, trying to get at his danging feet. Snap refused to let go and he pulled on Draow’s neck tighter. There was no way he was going to let this creep get away with what he has done. No way...

Draow attempted to buck Snap off. He threw his body from side to side, using the force to try to make Snap let go. Snap almost did, but he retained his grip on the beast. Maybe he kept going like this, he could make Draow use up more of his energy and he would be too weak to fight back. Yes, this plan would work.

Then Draow started to slam his body against the room’s walls. Snap howled in pain when his foot got caught between the rock and Draow’s thick body. It didn’t break, but it was still a bad blow, right on the ankle, too. It twisted a little. Still, he would not let go. Draow, growling in frusration, kept slamming him again and again. It didn’t work so well this time because Snap pulled his legs up before the slamming could occur, making it harder for Draow to succeed with this plan again.

Draow’s pupils dilated a little. “I am not going to lose to you, little runt!” He snarled. He stood still for a moment, his haunches low to the ground. His head was turned to the side, his eyes turning as far as they could to stare at Snap. “You will see! I am going to prove to Bardot I can defeat you! You will be mine!”

Snap watched as chalky drool dripped from the beast’s jaws. This bat wolf really was obsessed with revenge... But not just that. He got it in his head that he had to prove himself to Bardot. He didn’t know why. Nor did he really care right now.

Still hanging on tightly, Snap said to Draow, “Yeah well those are just all words. Anyone can say they will succeed. Why don’t you try proving it to me?”

The bat wolf smirked darkly in response. “I would love to. Listening to you scream...watching you squirm...that is what I’ve been wanting these past few days.” He pawed the ground, scraping his claws against the hard surface. “I am going to get my wish.”

Draow rushed towards the far end well. He spread his wings out a little to get a little more speed. Snap wasn’t sure what he was going to do at first. He didn’t see the benefit of running head first into the wall. And then his eyes widened when that was answered quickly. He felt Draow lower his head so that the back of his neck was facing the wall. In a matter of seconds, the wolf was going to slam against the wall, crushing Snap against it. Snap had to think of something and fast.

Reaching down with one hand, Snap grabbed an ear and yanked on it hard, forcing Draow’s head to the side. The sudden change in the orientation of his head caused Draow to lose his balance temporarily. He ended up slamming his wing against the wall instead. Draow howled in pain as Snap heard a few small cracks. He realized that the force broke one of the long digits that made up the bat wolf’s wing. It wouldn’t be enough to slow him down by much, though.

Draow was getting more and more desperate to get him off. He ran around the room, shaking him, slamming against the wall, doing whatever he could. He was getting really angry. Snap was amazed by how much control he still had despite being frustrated. He managed to completely avoid Rudy and Penny this whole time, barely even touching them with his tail as he tried in vain to get at him. Once in a while, Draow would still try to bite at his sides to snag Snap.

Two more times, Draow attempted to ram the wall again. And both times, Snap grabbed his ears and practically steered him in a new direction. It was almost like a rodeo. Only instead of a bull, this rodeo involved riding on the back of a ferocious, bone-crushing zoner who wanted him dead. And just like in a rodeo, where the bulls used were worn out, tired from all the running, that is how he’d have to beat Draow. Wear him out, and that’s exactly what would happen if Draow kept this up.

Snap could feel Draow getting a little weaker from all the bucking and trying to throw him off. He hadn’t really been conserving his energy well and used up much of it just trying to get him off. Once Draow was tired enough, Snap planned on knocking him out, and then trying to get Rudy and Penny to safety while Bardot wasn’t around.

He felt it was a good plan. He couldn’t use up too much of his energy fighting this guy. Not with his injuries and what little strength he had left to fight. Will power and determination could only get him so far. If he gets too badly hurt in this fight, just how was he going to stand up to Bardot? He knew that crazy zoner was going to come after him not long after he defeats Draow. And he knows that, unlike at his home, Bardot was not going to hold back this time.

Then, something happened that Snap should have foreseen. As Draow shook his head from side to side, it appeared the bat wolf had a change of plans. Really wanting to get his teeth into someone, Draow turned to someone who was within his sights and whom couldn’t fight back.

Rudy and Penny...

Snap’s eyes widened in horror. “No!”

Draow’s response was a dark laughter. He positioned himself with the two humans in his line of sight. They were looking at him with fear-filled eyes. With their legs broken, there was no way they were getting out of the way in time. Licking his chops, Draow charged straight for them, his mouth split open wide. He was closing the gap between them and it wouldn’t be long before he was upon them.

Snap tried to make Draow change direction. He yanked on his neck fur. He pushed his head, trying to make him miss his mark. But the bat wolf was determined to get his quarry and he was not about to let Snap ruin it for him. His eyes focused on Rudy and Penny, he just kept running.

In desperation, Snap grabbed both of Draow’s ears and yanked on them hard. Draow’s eyes widened in pain and he let out a grunt. His head was pulled upwards. Unable to see, he was forced to stop. Snap noticed that he stopped just in time. His talons were barely touching his friends’ faces. Draow moved his head from side to side, trying to get free. He backed off, letting out a few barks of frustration.

When Draow moved a few steps back, he suddenly swung his head to the side. Snap, unprepared, slipped down from the monster’s neck. Now he hung onto the beast’s throat, feeling the drool fall on him. The jaws were dangerously close to him. Draow noticed him there and lifted his head up high, getting into a posture like he was going to drink. Then he slammed down, mustering up as much strength as he could. He struck the ground, smashing Snap underneath him. Then he lifted up his head and took a step back.

Snap laid on the ground in pain. His eyes were shut for a moment, then he looked up at Draow. He didn’t have time to react as the bat wolf lifted up his wing and struck down. The blade sliced against Snap’s chest, creating a bloody gash. Blood splattered the ground as Snap cried out in pain, tumbling across the ground. He sat up, staring at the fresh wound, blood gushing out down his chest and stomach. He looked up just in time to see Draow coming at him.

Again he was struck. Draow slammed his snout against Snap, forcing him onto his muzzle. The force dazed him a little, but the bat wolf wasn’t finished with him yet. He ran across the room, his head lowered. Then he made impact with the wall, slamming Snap against it with great force. Snap howled in pain as he felt his body being crushed against the hard rock. He could see Draow staring at him, his eyes filled with wild, demented glee at his obvious suffering.

Draow took a step back and allowed Snap to fall to the ground. Snap groaned and rubbed the back of his head, feeling a sore spot there. He was lucky he didn’t get a concussion. He looked up at Draow and, before he could react, the bat wolf swung his head at him. The side of his head collided with Snap, sending him flying off to the side.

Snap screamed as he tumbled painfully on the ground. He landed hard on his side and bad leg and he cried out in pain. He was frozen in pain for several seconds. He could barely hear his friends’ warning cries. He could barely hear the heavy footsteps coming towards him. For the moment, the only thing he was aware of was the horrible throbbing pain in his head. And the world around him, for a moment, was blurred, the pain taking much of his brain’s attention.

Snap rubbed his head, his mind starting to come back into focus. The world still felt like it was spinning, but that was slowing down now. And now his friends’ cries were reaching him. Now he could comprehend what they were trying to tell him.

“Snap..look out..!”

That cry had come from Rudy. Snap’s body stiffened as he felt something very close behind him. He turned his head to see Draow staring at him. There was little room between them. Snap had nowhere to go. He was still in too much pain to just jump away. He was helpless to save himself as Draow kicked Snap, knocking the zoner into the ground.

Snap landed on his back and moved a little across the ground, his back scraping against it. He groaned and opened his eyes as Draow charged straight for him. Snap looked to his side and realized he had landed right next to his walking stick. He wasn’t sure if it was going to work. Draow was moving really fast and he did have strong jaws... But it was his best chance at survival. He grabbed the stick and turned to face Draow. Just as the bat wolf opened his jaws to bite him, Snap shoved the stick into his mouth.

Draow was moving too fast to react to what was going on. He saw the stick being put in his mouth, but his jaws were already slamming shut, and he didn’t have time to stop himself. The stick was long, about how wide his jaws could open. His eyes wide, Draow struggled to get the stick out of his mouth. He swung his head from side to side.

Snap smiled a little, thinking that this bought him sometime. But, to his horror, it had not. He could hear the cracking of the stick. Draow’s jaws lowered more and more, closing the space. He could see the stick starting to break and soon, it shattered in the beast’s jaws.

Snap backed away as Draow turned his eyes towards him. Snap realized, in that moment, just how afraid he was. He had so much to lose. And he was badly hurt, weak, and in a lot of pain. Draow, however, hardly had a mark on him. He clearly had the upperhand here. Snap felt his body tremble as Draow moved slowly towards him, licking his lips.

Snap was reminded of the fear he felt when he was with Mr. Cosmo. How the man could just look at him and he’d be frozen in terror. The man had caused him so much pain, tortured him so much... And now he was seeing just how much Draow took after his master. That twisted smile on the zoner’s face...much like Mr. Cosmo’s face when he proceeded to torture him within an inch of his life.

But despite his fear, he knew he had to keep fighting. Rudy and Penny..they were counting on him. He was their last line of defense. He was afraid, yes. He was terrified. But he wasn’t about to let that control him in this fight. He had to keep going. No matter how afraid he was, he had to keep fighting. He had to make Draow and Bardot pay for what they’ve done. He had to show them both that they weren’t going to control him with fear. There was no way he was going to let himself lose.

He narrowed his eyes and he took a fighting stance. He was not going to let Draow beat him that easily. He could see his friends laying on the ground, staring at him as he faced off against his monster. He was not about to let them down. He was going to win this fight. He wasn’t going down that easily.

Draow’s eyes narrowed, like he was upset that Snap managed to control his fear. Ears flattening, lips curling up into a snarl, he said, “Why won’t you die?”

Snap narrowed his eyes, a small smirk appearing on his face. His reply was, “Why don’t you make me?” There was a clear, challenging tone to that.

Draow growled in response. He pawed the ground and he rushed towards Snap.

sss

Terry was a little surprised, but also happy, when two other zoners showed up. Just like when Snap had arrived, the parents weren’t sure if they could be trusted. Once they had mentioned they were with Snap, Terry assured them that they could be trusted.

She could see why the parents were so wary with these two zoners. They didn’t know them that well. It didn’t help that Blocky looked really bizarre, with his square shape and oddly placed limbs. And seeing him so badly injured...the parents wondered out loud just what had happened to him. The more humanoid zoner, Rapsheeba, said that they would explain later and that, right now, they had to get them out of this place.

Rapsheeba and Blocky worked together to get the adults down. When Terry mentioned something about a key, Blocky went to look for it. It took several minutes, but he came back with it. Terry didn’t ask him how he managed to get it so fast. She would have thought it was better hidden. But then again, maybe that Bardot character didn’t think things through. Maybe he thought he was in such complete control that a secure location of the key wasn’t necessary.

She didn’t complain, though. That oversight meant that she and the parents were going to be freed soon. The zoners weren’t tall enough to use the key on their own. So instead, Rapsheeba let Blocky stand on her shoulders. One by one, they managed to release the adults from their chains.

They hadn’t left right away. Instead, they remained in the room, looking at each other. They glanced at each other’s wounds, and checked them, making sure they weren’t that bad. Some of the wounds looked a little worse than they initially thought. But they were manageable. Not one of the adults was too hindered to walk, so they could still make a clean getaway. That is what the two zoners had planned; they explained that Snap told them to get them out of the hideout.

The adult humans were all eager to get out of that place. The sooner they were out, the better. Yet, despite the desire to get out, the parents were...rather reluctant to an extent. They didn’t want to leave their children behind. They didn’t want to leave the building, knowing their children were trapped and injured. They really wanted to get them out and get them to a hospital. Terry could understand how they felt, and she had considered convincing the zoners to let them find their kids.

But this idea was quickly shot down. Rapsheeba and Blocky explained to the adults just how dangerous Bardot and Draow were. They deduced Bardot is watching the same rooms Rudy and Penny were in, and would see someone trying to rescue them. They told them how Bardot saw everything as a game, and how he would dish out punishments of any of his precious ‘rules’ were broken. If they went to try to save their kids, even though it was a noble and brave act, they might make things worse and Bardot may order them both to be killed.

As hard as it was, the two zoners had to tell the adults that the best chance those kids had to live was if Snap himself defeated Bardot and Draow. He was the only one ‘allowed’ to try to save them, and he would do anything it took to get them to safety. They did what they could to assure Mr. Tabootie, Mrs. Tabootie, and Mrs. Sanchez that Snap was a capable zoner who could beat the odds and would be able to save their children and bring their kidnappers and tormentors to justice.

Terry understood quickly where they were coming from. If what they said was true, and if this really was all just some twisted ‘game’ to this Bardot zoner, then she agreed that it was best to let Snap handle it. In spite of how injured he was, in spite of how hopeless it might be that he could win, they would automatically lose if Bardot really could see what they were doing and saw one of them trying to save the kids. The best they could do now was get out of this hell hole and wait for their kids outside.

It took a little while for the parents to at least convince Rapsheeba and Blocky to let them wait outside the lair. Not too far away. They wanted to be there when Snap came out with their kids. They wanted to be reunited with them. They wanted to hold them and let them know it’ll be okay. They wanted to get them to safety, back to where the blue portal was located.

Although Rapsheeba and Blocky weren’t sure if it was such a good idea to let them stay so close to a place so dangerous, they did give in and let them at least have that. They promised that they would protect them while waiting outside, just in case any aggressive zoners happened upon the place whiel they waited. The adults were grateful for their help.

They were starting to leave their cell when Mrs. Sanchez took notice of something. She stopped in the middle of the room, her body frozen. Her eyes slowly widened as she stared at the screen. Mr. and Mrs. Tabootie came over to see what she saw. Terry came over, and she let out a soft gasp when she realized something about the television had changed.

Penny...she was gone.. And there was a blood trail... What had happened to her? Terrible thoughts ran through their minds. Maybe Bardot had decided to finish Penny off, just to be sadistic...

But fears were dampened when Terry noticed something changing in the screen showing Rudy. She called to the parents and pointed. Relieved sighs spread through the three adults when they saw that Penny had not been taken by Bardot; she had just been dragged away by Snap, who placed her carefully next to Rudy. Such a kind gesture... Terry watched as the adults smiled as Snap comforted their children and they realized, in that moment, just how much Snap meant to their children, and how much Snap really cared for Rudy and Penny.

And then they watched as that horrible monster, Draow, came in and engaged in a fight with Snap. They saw how Snap was so determined, he kept fighting back. They watched the little zoner, so badly injured, fight to keep his friends safe. They gasped in horror when Draow tried to get at their children, but were relieved when Snap managed to make Draow stop his attack, and continued to wrestle with him.

It was an impressive sight. Terry knew there was a lot of fight in that zoner, but she had no idea it was like this. Perhaps this would convince the parents that ChalkZone wasn’t as bad as they thought. Sure, she herself still wanted to report on ChalkZone, and sure she would rather Rudy and Penny not interfere with her. But she wasn’t heartless; she knew how damaging it would be for the two teenagers if they were banned from the place they cared about so much after all they had been through.

Then Terry started having second thoughts. Something in the back of her mind was emerging. After all this, did she really want to still expose ChalkZone? She started to wonder, for the first time, if that was such a good idea. Had there been consequences she hadn’t considered? Perhaps...perhaps it was time she thought all of this through a little more.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Mr. Tabootie spoke.

“That Snap fellow...” Mr. Tabootie said, his voice filled with awe. “He just keeps going and going, doesn’t he?”

Mrs. Tabootie nodded her head in response. “He really does care, doesn’t he?”

“Of course he does!” Rapsheeba said, giving a smile at the large woman. “Why else would he be putting his life on the line to save your kids?”

Blocky nodded in agreement. “They look out for each other. Rest assured Snap will not give up. He will keep fighting until his dying breath. He is not a selfish guy. It is in his nature to put himself in harm’s way to save those he cares about.”

The parents let out a few tears. Not strictly of sadness, but of happiness. Hope seemed to rise in them more. Hope is that they needed right now.

“So after all these years, our children had a guardian angel..” Mrs. Sanchez said in a low whisper, wiping away a tear. “And we didn’t know about it.”

“They are guardians of each other.” Terry said, giving the adults a reassuring smile.

Taking one more look at the screen, watching as Snap continued to battle against Draow, Mr. Tabootie looked at the others and said, “If we get out of this, let’s be sure to thank him.”

Mrs. Tabootie and Mrs. Sanchez nodded in agreement. Then they all started to move out into the hallways and tried to find their way out of the wretched hideout.

sss

“This is for Cosmo!” Draow declared as he kicked Snap as hard as he could.

Snap screamed in pain when he was thrust into the ground again. He hit against his side and his body froze in pain. Convulsing in agony, he just laid there, unable to move. Draow stared at him, smiling darkly. His tail swished from side to side as he slowly approached the downed zoner.

Snap struggled to move. He could hear Penny calling out to him, trying to get him to move. Rudy had gone silent, and Snap had a feeling he knew what that meant; he lost consciousness. He was running out of time. So little was remaining. That motivated him to try harder to move and get up. But the pain wracked through his body, sending painful shivers throughout, and leaving him stuck on the ground.

Draow moved in slowly towards him, smirking in satisfaction at Snap on the ground, bleeding from reopened and new injuries. He watched as the zoner looked up at him, his eyes wide with a mixture of fear of pain. His smile broaded at this sight. He opened his jaws and let out a dark chuckle. He lifted up his head, pulled it back, and then charged forward, his feet pounding the ground heavily. Unable to move, Snap couldn’t stop Draow from slamming his jaws around his body.

Snap screamed as teeth dug into his body, making more blood pour out. He was yanked off the ground and held high into the air. Draow pressed his jaws tighter and Snap winced in agony, tears pooling from his eyes. Draow gave him a few hard shakes, aggravating his injuries and making him scream a few times. Then he stopped and just stood there. Snap was confused at first, but his eyes widened as he realized what Draow was going to do.

He felt the jaws close in tighter on him. He felt the teeth dig further into his already torn body. The pressure was increasing little by little. He realized that Draow was going to crush him to death...

Snap struggled in the beast’s jaws. He tried to pull himself out. But not only could he not muster enough strength to do this, but if he pulled himself out with the teeth still in his body...he was going to rip himself apart. He needed to find another way out. He looked around, desperate for an escape. He winced as he saw the look in Penny’s eyes, a look that was pleading and silently begging.

Draow was amused by his attempts of escape and he shook his head a few times. Then he went up to the wall and slammed Snap against it once, giving a muffled laugh as Snap screamed in pain. Then Snap lay limp in his jaws, a lot of his strength seemingly gone. Draow took this as victory and started to tighten his jaws even more. Penny looked at Snap horrified, shaking her head in denial. The blue boy’s eyes, upon seeing Penny’s expression, snapped wide open, realizing that he couldn’t give up yet, and he felt a surge of adrenaline rise up inside of him.

Twisting his body a little, ignoring the pain, Snap stared Draow right in the eyes. He growled softly and pulled his fist back, his muscles tightening up, and then he struck forward. The fist managed to slam against Draow’s left eye. The bat wolf let out a howl of pain as one of his sensitive eyes was punched. His body shook in pain and he released Snap in the process.

Snap landed on the ground beside Draow. He looked up as Draow stood there, screeching in pain. Then the bat wolf glared down at him hatefully, looking a tad more feral than he usually did. Snap reacted quickly and delivered another punch. This one right on one of Draow’s feet. He managed to use enough force to make Draow lose some of his footing and he stumbled. Snap took advantage of him being a little off balance and punched his foot again.

Down Draow went. He let out a screech as his feet slipped from underneath him, spreading out at the sides like he was doing a split. His head slammed against the ground, the impact on his chin causing him to bite his own tongue. He screamed as blood poured from his mouth from his freshly injured tongue. He then turned and glared at Snap.

“How...dare....you...” Draow said, wincing as he spoke, the pain in his tongue hindering him.

Snap glared back at him and he took a stance in front of Draow, blocking his view of Rudy and Penny. “You will never hurt them or anything again...” Snap raised his fists in the air. “Not while I’m here...”

Draow let out a cold laughter. “You...you really think you c-can win? In your s-s-sorry state..?”

Snap said, “You should never underestimate your opponents, Draow. I thought you would have known that...” He took a step towards him, showing Draow that, despite his fear, he was not going to let him intimidate him. “Rudy drew me to be a hero..” A determined smile spread across his face, his eyes narrowing. “And that is exactly what I’m going to be.”

Draow folded his ears and snarled at this. “We will see..a-a-about that...”

“Yeah, we will, won’t we?” Snap said. He pointed a hand in his direction. “So get up and fight me. Let’s end this fight, here and now!”

Draow smiled evilly. “Th-This...will be...too easy...”


	43. I Refuse To Give Up

It didn’t take long for Draow to climb up to his feet. He shook himself a little. His stance was a little wobbly. The strain of his legs doing a split moments ago showed obvious signs through a slight hint of agony in the bat wolf’s expression. Yet, despite this minor set back, he was still able to move with ease as he rushed towards Snap, mouth agape.

Snap narrowed his eyes and waited for the right time. When Draow got close enough, Snap quickly moved out of the way, allowing the bat wolf to rush by him. He watched as Draow attempted to stop himself, skidding his feet on the ground. He managed to stop himself and then turn around. He pawed the ground angrily and snorted. He opened up his mouth and let out a roar. Little bits of blood shot everywhere from the bleeding wounds on his tongue. Then he ran towards Snap once more.

Snap lowered himself, bending his knees. If he could just get on top of Draow again, he could attempt to wear him out like he did before. Hanging onto Draow seemed to work. It appeared to be a weak point of Draow’s. As much of a vicious fighter he is, Draow is a little helpless if someone were to grab onto him. Well not completely helpless, but he had little ways of knocking Snap off if he did get on his back. Snap waited for Draow to come, waiting for the right time to jump onto his back.

But Snap had made a miscalcuation. He hadn’t taken into account that Draow may have realized what he was going to do, and would do whatever it took to prevent him from doing it. Draow waited until the right moment before he changed direction a split second before Snap attempted his move.

The change in direction caused Snap to jump towards one of Draow’s legs instead. Jumping was still painful as it was. It was even worse whan his injured foot slammed against one of the bat wolf’s sharp talons. Eyes widening and tears forming, Snap let out a cry of pain. Before he had time to react, he felt Draow snag him into the air by his scarf.

Snap gagged, the scarf pushing up against his neck. It was getting a little hard to breathe. He struggled to pull himself free. Draow shook him a few times before slamming him into the ground. Snap landed on his sotmach in a hard thud. He groaned and attempted to get up. Draow was having none of his. He slashed his claws along Snap’s side, leaving behind red gashes. Snap was knocked to the side and slammed against the wall. As he tried again to get to his feet, Draow rushed forward, snarling viciously. He raised his wing claw and struck down.

There was no holding it back. Snap screamed loudly as the claw cut into his back. The force knocked him a few feet away. He crashed into the ground, groaning in pain. He realized, in horror, that the attack was just like the one Draow gave him when he was kidnapped and taken to Mr. Cosmo’s. That attack...it had been the start of his suffering at the hands of Mr. Cosmo. And when it was left untreated, one of the reasons he almost died was because of that infection.

And Draow had attacked him in the same way, in the same spot, with the same force as before. Only this time, Snap managed to stay awake. He kept fighting to keep himself conscious. If he let himself get knocked out, his friends were going to die. He had to stay up as long as he could. He had to keep fighting as long as he could. There was no one else here who could save Rudy and Penny in time.

Snap tried to get up, but a wave of pain kept him on the ground. He let out a groan. It, along with his other words, made it hard to move. His body shook in pain. It didn’t help that he had landed on his stomach, right on his other wound he got from Draow. With a deep cut on his sides, back, and front, there was no place he could crash without damaging his old injuries even more. His fresh wounds stung immensely while his old ones ached in a constant dull pain, intermixing with a few sharp jabs. It was starting to feel like every part of his body was on fire.

He saw Draow was heading towards him. His heart started to race. He had to get up before that beast got to him again. Snap attempted to get up again. And once more, the pain caused him to fall back down. His whole body was throbbing. He let out a few whimpers and he looked over at Draow. Despite his rising fear, he just glared hatefully at the approaching bat wolf. He was not going to give him the satisfaction of seeing him afraid.

Draow stopped a few feet in front of him. He stared down at Snap, licking his chops slowly. He started to walk slowly around Snap. He was clearly enjoying what he saw as victory. He could see Snap couldn’t get up, and the more he struggled, the more Draow’s smile went wider. He circled Snap like a vulture, like he was just waiting for Snap to curl up and die. Snap followed his movements, glaring hatefully at him. Then, for a moment, Snap looked over at Penny, whose eyes were wide in fear. Snap wondered if Draow had done this to her and Rudy at some point, just circle them to scare them.

His thoughts were cut when Draow let out a dark laughter. He turned his head and glared back at the bat wolf, baring his teeth at him.

“You really think...you can w-w-win?” Draow said. The pain in his tongue was getting a little better, but it still apparently hurt the winged wolf. “G-Give it up! You’ll never win! Without the magic chalk...” Draow said, taking a step towards Snap. “...you c-can’t beat me..”

Snap snarled at him. He put his hands on the ground and pushed himself up a little. He moved his head so he could keep his eyes on the monster. He said nothing as he watched Draow circle him.

Draow shifted his head and looked back towards the direction Penny and Rudy were in. Snap’s eyes widened as a sinister, satisfied smile spread across his face. His heart clenched. Was this...did this mean that...? Oh no...Penny... Snap tried to look over, but as he turned his head, he felt something slam against him. He screamed as he tumbled across the ground and landed on his stomach. He groaned and, before he could react, he felt something heavy slam on top of him.

Draow now stood behind him, holding his body down with his foot. His talons dug into his back, at least one right into his open wound. Snap whimpered in pain, his head low to the ground and eyes closed tightly. He felt Draow’s hot breath against his face. When Snap opened his eyes, he could see the sharp fangs from Draow up close and personal. He shuddered at the sight of them.

“Ah...fear... F-Finally... I’ve been w-waiting to get that look from you...” Draow said in a darkened voice. Snap stared up at him, narrowing his eyes. “You c-can try to hide it. B-But I can tell you are afraid, Snap. And you sh-should be! For you see, you have failed...!”

There was a shift in weight. The monster put his foot in Snap’s head. His toes were highly flexable and they gripped his head. Draow yanked his head back and forced him to look at where his friends were on the ground.

Snap’s eyes widened in horror. Now Penny was on the ground unconscious. No...it wasn’t good that they were both unconscious... With those injuries...they might not wake up again... Snap’s eyes watered as he stared at their prone forms, his breathing becoming heavy and shaky. Draow’s cold laughter was like a sword through his heart, making his emotions a lot worse. No, he couldn’t be too late...no...

He could see their chests moving up and down. He could tell they were still alive. A small smile spread across his face. That was short lived. Horror came back when he noticed that the breaths were very shallow and far between. And they were slowing down. Rudy and Penny...they were dying... More tears fell from Snap’s eyes. A low whimper escaped his mouth as Draow chuckled at him. The bat wolf released him and became to pace around him again, once in a while, brushing his body with his thick, furry tail.

“You had no chance to start with, S-Snap.” The stutter in Draow’s voice started to go away. “There’s so little t-time left. You wanna know how little time?” Draow asked in a mocking voice. He stood in front of Snap. When the zoner looked up at him, Draow lowered his head. His teal eyes stared into Snap’s. “They’ve got an hour and a half left now.” Snap’s eyes widened in disbelief at this. He shook his head in denial. “Deny it all you want to... B-But you’ve lost.”

Draow moved in behind Snap. He positioned himself, raising a foot off the ground. He placed it on Snap’s back, pushing him down. He opened up his wings, his injured one a little shaky from that slam against the wall. Draow positioned his mouth near Snap’s head.

Snap didn’t attempt to struggle. His eyes were focused on Rudy and Penny. His heart beat heavily against his chest. There was less than two hours to save them... He was running out of time. He might have already run out of time. They were...so still on the ground. Much like how he was with Mr. Cosmo. Still and quiet...very few signs of life. With them unconscious, they...they might not make it. He silently begged them to wake up, but of course, they stayed on the ground, eyes closed.

“It is a shame you c-came all this way...just to lose.” Draow said. His voice was a little softer than usual, but the cruelty was still there. He moved his head down, his eyes tracing along Snap’s back and towards his legs like he was taking mental note of his injuries. B-But should you be surprised? Without the magic chalk...you’re nothing... You can’t create anything. Not even a little armor to protect yourself. You lost right from the b-beginning. You never stood a chance.”

Snap tried not to listen to Draow. But his piercing words kept hitting him. Again and again, they struck his heart, attacking it. He felt like swords were being cut into him. The more Draow spoke, the more Snap wondered....was he right? Had he really come here just to lose? His eyes, he couldn’t turn them away from Rudy and Penny. He watched as their breathing slowly, very slowly, became lighter and more shallow, the breaths becoming further apart.

He felt Draow’s hot breath on his legs. He could feel the droop dripping on them. He knew what Draow was going to do. He could already feel the teeth in his legs, and Draow hadn’t even bitten him yet. Snap knew that, in a matter of seconds, Draow would bite down on one or both of his legs and crush them. Even with just one missing leg, that was going to be a great hinderence. He wouldn’t be able to protect himself, let alone Rudy or Penny, if his leg was broken...

He felt determination rise up inside of him again. Rudy and Penny didn’t give up on him back at Cosmo’s place. He wasn’t going to give up on them. They were still alive. And as long as they were still breathing, he was going to fight for them. He turned his head to see Draow preparing to bite. His foot was still laying across his back. The toe was pretty close to his head.

Snap’s mind flashed back to Mr. Cosmo. He remembered being on that edge in the Chalk Mine. He recalled being stuck up there with the deranged man. He remembered how he had lost his temper and had attacked him. He had bitten down on his leg, which was within reach, just like Draow’s foot...

Without hesitation, Snap put a hand over Draow’s closest toe, opened his mouth, and bit down as hard as he could on the sensitive chalk flesh just before the toe exited the digit. The bite got the reaction he had hoped for.

Draow screeched loudly. He lifted up his foot from Snap and took a step back. This gave Snap some time to get up to his feet. But when he tried, and he stepped on his twisted ankle, he let out a cry of pain and fell back down. He picked himself up by his hands, his legs laying behind him. He managed to turn himself around on the ground and glared directly at Draow.

When the bat wolf finally stopped screeching, he glared down at Snap. His teeth were bared, gums exposed. The fur on his neck, back, and tail was raised in rage. His pupils shrank a little. He took a step towards Snap, slamming the ground on purpose in an attempt to scare Snap.

“I can’t believe y-you...” Draow growled. “You filthy little beast!”

With that, the bat wolf struck Snap with his foot, kicking him against the wall. Snap howled in pain as he slid down, leaving behind a bloody mark. He let out a few whimpers of pain, but the angry expression never left his face. He growled in Draow’s direction.

“The only...filthy beast around here...is you.” Snap said, panting from a mixture of pain and exhaustion. This fight was taking more out of him than he thought. He wondered how he was going to do in the fight against Bardot. “And you’re wrong.. I haven’t failed. As long as Rudy and Penny are still alive..I’ll do what it takes to save them. I’m..I’m not giving up. I can’t give up now, not after I came so far.”

As he spoke, Snap started to climb up to his feet. He was very careful to go slowly as to not aggravate his wounds further. Draow narrowed his eyes in disgust as Snap started to pick his torn and battered body off the ground.

Snap said, “If I can survive almost being tossed into a grinder through a sinkhole, being mauled by chocolate bunnies, being hunted by zombies, almost shot to death by flying bots, nearly falling into acid, being chased by a snake, riding down an ice slide, being thrown about, and whatever else I had to put through getting here...” Now Snap stood straight up. There was a hint of pain in his face, but he did his best to conceal it. He glared in Draow’s direction. “I can survive you.”

Draow’s eyes widened at this. He took a step back. Then his ears lowered and he snarled. “I can’t believe you can stand a-after that...” Then a creepy smile came onto his face. “Then again, you always were stubborn. No wonder my master had to put the nail in you while you were awake to break you.” Snap’s eyes widened at that. Memories flooded back to him. “Oh yes, it was on purpose. Not that you should be surprised. He did it not just for the plan. He did it solely to break you. And it worked really well. He said it was a lot of fun... He loved to hear you whimper like a baby.”

Snap began to shudder a little. The memories, even just thinking about it, he could feel the pain. Not much he experienced had been as bad as that. Even being mauled by the rabbits was less painful than what Mr. Cosmo had put him through. Sometimes he could still feel a sting on his forehead where his head was dissolved open by that water.

He managed to push those memories aside, though it was hard. He knew Draow was bringing up such painful memories just to psyche him out. If anything, it was just making him more determined. Knowing what he had gone through, knowing what his friends were going through, the memory of the pain was making him more determined than ever to win this duel. He narrowed his eyes at Draow, who clearly looked disappointed that his method wasn’t working on him.

“I see the fire in you still burns.” Draow commented. By now, the stutter was gone. He licked his lips. His tongue was still stained in his own blood. “I don’t know if this determination of yours is annoying or amusing. You’re like a cockroach. You just won’t die, will you?”

Snap smirked at this. “I’m glad you’re starting to understand, Draow. I will not stop until I save my friends. You are not going to stand in my way. I love Rudy and Penny. They’re family to me. And family looks out for each other.” He took a fighting stance, flinching at the pain. “No matter what you do...you will not make me surrender. I would rather die than accept defeat.”

At this, Draow laughed darkly. “Okay, very well.” He lowered his head, narrowing his eyes. “I can accept that...” He pawed the ground, his talons scraping across. “You know, your stubbornness just might be your downfall, Snap. I guess you really do want to go to your grave...”

Snap just stood there. He glared at Draow and motioned with his hand to try to get him. Snap knew it was risky, but he did have an idea. He planted his feet firmly on the ground, waiting for Draow to make his move. And soon the bat wolf did. In seconds, he was rushing towards Snap.

All common sense was screaming at Snap to get out of the way. The snapping jaws..they were getting closer. If he got stuck in them again, it might be over for him. He didn’t know if he could land another blow like that twice. No doubt Draow would do whatever it took to keep him from succeeding in that again. Snap waited until the right time, and then moved out of the way.

Draow, unable to stop himself, slammed his snout against the ground. The force of the impact caused Draow to break his own nose. Blood dripped from his nostrils. He shook his head, sneezing painfully. He then turned his head, looking for Snap. A broken nose wasn’t going to slow him down that much, but it did provide Snap the momentary distraction that he needed. As Draow snapped his jaws at him, Snap had managed to move to the side and gripped onto Draow’s neck once more.

Snap hung on, pulling on Draow’s ears. The bat wolf immediately started to try to throw him off. He shook harder and this time, Snap found it more difficult to hang on. He refused to let go, pulling on the ears tighter, trying to force Draow to run into the walls in an attempt to slow him down.

“Oh no you don’t...” Draow snarled angrily. He opened his wings a little, shaking in fury. Drool dripped from his jaws. “I’m not letting you do this trick again!”

Snap didn’t listen to him. He just pushed his legs harder against the sides of the beast’s neck and yanked on his ears, forcing his head to move from side to side. He kept trying to steer the bat wolf. But unlike before, Draow had long stopped running. He kept trying to fling Snap off of him, swaying his body from side to side. Snap’s eyes widened when he realized that, this time, his plan wasn’t going to work. He couldn’t steer Draow anywhere if he wasn’t going to run.

Draow smirked, as if he sensed Snap’s surprise. “You must be an idiot if you think I’ll fall for your little trick again. Did you really think you could force me into the wall again? I really hope you have another plan...because this is the end for you.”

With that, Draow lowered his head and, swiftly and with much force, he flung his head upwards. The force caused Snap to lose his grip and he was sent up into the air. As Snap sailed in the air, Draow opened his jaws wide, intending on catching Snap in his jaws and crushing him in a single bite. And there was no way Snap could move out of the way this time.

Snap felt like time was going in slow motion. He stared down at Draow’s open jaws and gulped. He couldn’t dodge them this time. In a matter of seconds, he was..he was going to die. He shifted his gaze to Rudy and Penny. He shed a few tears and silently apologized for not being able to save them. He had let them down. He let everyone down.

He looked back down that the jaws below him. Soon, gravity was going to do its work. It was going to pull him down, right towards this creature’s jaws. He had nothing he could grab onto to save himself. Gravity soon started to work against him. He felt himself slowly stop rising up higher into the air, then he started coming right back down. Snap didn’t know he was going to go like this. He didn’t know he was going to die from falling in the jaws of a vengeful wolf.

Then a thought crossed his mind. Gravity... He felt himself slowly fall faster and faster. He remembered what Penny said about gravity once. The stored energy, and how all that energy is unleashed when the object hit the ground. He wondered...

Snap glared down at Draow. He positioned himself so he was falling head first towards Draow. The bat wolf looked confused, but then smiled. He obviously didn’t know what Snap was up to. Snap looked at his hand. He tightened it, mustering up as much strength as he could. He let gravity do its work, channeling energy through his hand. Yes, he would use the fall to his advantage. He glared at Draow, showing courage in the face of his open, fanged mouth.

Waiting for the right moment, Snap pulled his hand back, his arm tensing up from his tightening muscles, and, just when he reached the right distance, just when Draow was about to crush his body in his jaws, Snap struck down, slamming his fist with as much force as he could muster right between Draow’s eyes. The force of the impact forced Draow’s head downard, his mouth shutting, gritting pain. His eyes shut tightly, and his body stiffened.

The blue zoner fell to the ground after that. As he fell back, Draow pulled his back and let out a screech of pain. His eyes remained closed and his once angry expression softened. Snap hit the ground and watched as Draow stumble backwards. Then, in seconds, Draow fell to the ground on his side. There was a bit of mild movement for a few seconds, but then Draow just stayed still.

Snap laid on the ground, staring in disbelief at what he had just done. He stared down at the hand he used to punch Draow. Then he looked at the bat wolf himself. He waited a few moments, trying to see if the bat wolf was going to get up any second and come after him. He soon realized that he wasn’t. The force of the punch, where he had punched him, he must have done enough damage to knock him out.

He...he had done it... It took Snap a while to let it all sink in, but he had really, truly done it. Draow was..defeated. He was still alive of course, but he was defeated. He couldn’t fight anymore. He had won this duel. He had won.

Snap looked over at his friends. He wished they could have seen that. But more than that, he wished they were awake. He looked at them worriedly. They needed help and fast.

He got up onto his feet. He stumbled a little from pain. He walked..no..he limped over to them. It took him a little longer than usual to get over. But he managed to get by his friends’ side. He looked down at them sadly. He knelt down between them, looking at their still faces. He put his hands on their shoulders and started to shake them.

“Guys...wake up..please...” Snap said to them. They didn’t respond. He shook harder. “Come on, you guys have to get up... You can’t fall asleep. Not now... Please no...” He looked at them, hoping for some kind of sign that they were waking up. Nothing happened. Tears dripped from his eyes. “No guys..no...please don’t do this...don’t go...please wake up...”

But it was no use. No matter how hard he shook them, no matter what he said, they didn’t do anything. They had lost touch with reality. They were alive, but if they didn’t wake up soon...they might slip into a coma. They might become too far gone to save. No...he wouldn’t let that happen. He couldn’t...

Snap tried again. He shook them even harder. “No..please wake up... Please...” Snap pulled them into a hug, his arms wrapped over Rudy and Penny’s shoulder. “Don’t leave me...please...” He whispered, his voice broken into sobs.

All of a sudden, Snap felt himself yanked from his friends. He waited helplessly as their heads hit against the hard ground, not something that should happen while they’re in an already fragile state. Snap tried to reach out for them, but he soon found himself thrown into the ground. He let out a cry of pain, shutting his eyes, and tried to get up. But then something pushed him down, holding him in place.

Before Snap knew it, he felt his arms pinned over his head with a single vice-like grip. Something soft wrapped around his legs, squeezing them together. Something held his body down. He winced and struggled as pressure was put on his multiple injuries. But he found himself unable to move. He opened up his eyes and looked up. His eyes widened in horror.

There stood Bardot. He was grinning down at him, holding him in the exact same position as he did when they first met in his home. Snap attempted to struggle. He had an even harder time than before in getting free. He lost so much energy, was in so much pain, he was unable to budge even an inch from this guy.

Bardot smiled down at him, pulling his lips back to show more of his long, sharp fangs. “I see you finally made it...” He said in a soft voice. He lowered his head, putting his face close to Snap’s. “Congratulations... Welcome to the boss level...”

Snap winced as some of the heated venom hit against his face. He shuddered as the venom burned his skin a little. He kept his eyes on Bardot. He could feel his heart pounding. This was it. Everything he went through these past few days, it all culminated to this.

It was time to face Bardot himself.


	44. To Kill Some Time

Snap stared up at Bardot, his eyes wide in fear, his body shaking. This was it. This was what he had been waiting for the past few days. This is what he fought so hard to get a chance to do. It was time to fight Bardot, the one who caused all this mess to start with. If he had slept at all the past few days, he would have dreamt about this moment every single night. And after Bardot was finally defeated, his friends would have a chance to be saved.

Although Snap tried to be brave, he tried to put on a more heroic-looking face, he just wasn’t able to. He wasn’t able to push out the fear welling up inside of him. He continued to stare at Bardot, unable to even speak a word. Anytime he opened his mouth, the only thing he could let out was a squeak or a whimper.

He had been wanting to face this monster. Anytime he spoke with him over the radio, all the things he had said to him, it had made Snap want to face him even more. He wanted to make Bardot eat the words he spoke. He wanted to make him regret ever hurting his friends. He wanted to throw his own words back at him. He was tired of his cocky attitude. He was tired of him acting like life was just a game or something. He was tired of him mocking him whenever his friends got hurt again. It was time to end all of that.

But now that he has the chance, now that he is up close and personal again with Bardot, a lot of his initial courage started to fade away. Seeing him up close like this again...it sent shivers down his spine. And now he was pinned on the ground with him standing over him. He could just bite him and get it over with. And now that the games are over....that just might be what he was going to do...

Snap did take notice of Bardot’s injuries. He was confused. They didn’t look like something Rudy or Penny could have done. So who the heck had attacked him? A pang of worry filled his heart. What if the zoner who had attacked Bardot was even more dangerous than Bardot himself? What if, after this, he had someone else he needed to fight? The idea of someone being ferocious enough to attack Bardot like that...it scared him.

But on the one hand, it was nice to see Bardot being the one injured. He took mental note of the wounds. The cuts on his shoulder, his torn ear, his bruised back and stomach, his broken tail tip, his wounded paw...he made sure to remember each and every one of them. He was going to need any advantage he could find against Bardot. These injuries could help him get the upperhand.

Snap wasn’t one to take advantage of injuries. It wasn’t something he liked doing. But Bardot didn’t deserve mercy. He had done a lot of horrific things these past few days. He had harmed so many zoners, some were even killed. His thoughts went back to Jacko. He could still see Jacko’s mangled body in his head. That was just a preview of just how cruel this monster was. And Snap himself had so many wounds... Bardot having some weaker points due to having injuries of his own could help level the playing field a little.

Snap watched as Bardot smiled down at him. For the past several minutes, the zoner hadn’t really done anything. He simply held him down. He wondered if Bardot chose this same hold he used on him back at his own house just to freak him out. If that were the case, it was working. Snap was immobilized, unable to move. And now, with his wounds, the pressure Bardot placed on him was agonizing.

He tried to move. He attempted to pull his arms away. Bardot was only holding his wrists with one paw; his owner was placed at the side of his head, digging a little into the rock. He mustered up as much strength as he could and started to yank on his arms, hoping that the combined strength would free him. But the only thing that happened was that Bardot tightened his grip on him. Snap winced a little. He tried a few more times to free his arms, but had no such luck.

He then tried to shift his body. He tried to move his legs. He tried to kick them out. He tried to do whatever he could to get free. But all the twisting and turning, it did little to dislodge Bardot. It was doing a really good job at hurting himself, though. Snap cried out in pain a few times when his twisting pulled on one of his injuries. He felt more blood leaking out. He felt his strength starting to fade a little. He realized, in fright, that the blood loss was taking a hold on him now.

No..no now...any time but now.. He couldn’t afford to get weak now. Not while Bardot was here. He had to get more strength. He had to save what strength he had left. He needed to be able to fight Bardot. He had been through so much already. He couldn’t just die here. He couldn’t let himself get defeated. Rudy and Penny needed him. They were counting on him. He...he couldn’t let them down...

But, for the moment, he couldn’t get free. He couldn’t do it at his own home when he was at full strength. What chance did he have here? Especially when he was so badly hurt and weak. All he could do was lay there helplessly as he stared up at Bardot. He glared at him, but he couldn’t hide his fear from him.

Bardot chuckled and reached down with his claw. He pressed the tip against Snap’s cheek. He applied a little pressure, but not enough to break the skin. “Hmm does this remind you of anything...?” Bardot asked in a calm, almost sweet sounding voice. “I’m sure if you think about it, it will bring back memories. You’ve been in this position before, all helpless.”

Snap’s eyes widened as memories of Mr. Cosmo came back. Just like at his house, Bardot pinning him down like this was bringing back memories of him being strapped to the table, when the mind control device was put into him with water. The horrific, scarring event... Bardot was deliberately reminding him of it, to make him feel more afraid.

And it was working. The memory flashes clouded his mind. Bolt afer bolt in his head, he could see himself on the table. Dark shadows all around. Mr. Cosmo in silhouette, raising the dropper to put the water on his head. He could feel the horrible pain as it burned through his head. It was like he stuck his hand in a fire and was forced to keep it there. Instinctively, Snap tried to move away, his eyes going wild, searching frantically for a way out. Gritting his teeth, he looked back up at Bardot.

Snap couldn’t stifle the gasp of horror as, for a moment, Bardot looked just like Mr. Cosmo. The same smile, the same eyes, everything. And he was staring down at Snap, and he could hear his taunting voice. Feelings of helplessness started to overcome Snap. He became frozen in fear. His breathing quickened. Tears of fear flowed down his face. His body went limp. The only thing he could do was stare at Bardot, a part of him expecting him to hit him with water.

Something did hit him. Something wet. But it wasn’t water. Snap could feel a little more venom hitting him on the face. His eyes grew big. If any of that got on his wounds...he’d be in trouble. So far, it was just a couple of drops. They hurt. His skin burned, but it was preferable over having it injected into his body.

“I must admit...you performed better than I could have imagined. I am impressed.” Bardot said, smirking down at his victim. He raised his free paw off the ground and placed it under his own chin, rubbing it like he was in deep thought. “You were quite clever and all. I was right to be interested in you. You really are the unkillable. At least...until now...”

Snap watched as Bardot lowered his claw to him again. He pressed it against his shoulder at the very base of his neck. He moved it down a little, very gentle, the claw not cutting into him.

“For you see, you are badly injured now. Had you been more careful and went faster, you could have faced me at full strength. You wasted so much of your time and energy... And now you are going to pay the price for that.” Bardot sneered at him, staring into Snap’s frightened eyes. Bardot’s eyes then moved to where his claw was. On the blue boy’s chest, just like before. Bardot noticed the wound. “As I said to you before, you are mortal. You can have all the attitude with me that you want, if you so desire. But in the end, you are still mortal. And now I can be the one to claim to have taken you down.”

Snap tried to struggle again. His head moved from side to side as he tried to pull first his left side, then his right, free of the monster’s grasp. Yet there was nothing he could do. He was just far too weak to pull himself free. He was completely immobilized. Only his head could move freely, but that wasn’t going to do him much good.

Snap flinched and turned his head to the side as Bardot lowered his head towards his face. His fangs so close... The venom coating the very tip. It wouldn’t take much for Bardot to sink those teeth into his skin. Then it would all be over. Unable to hide his fear, Snap started to tremble.

“It seems my little plan worked on you...” Bardot said, his face still close to Snap’s. He grinned down at the fear-filled eye looking up at him. “Weakening you was clearly the best idea.”

“W-Weakening me?” Snap stammered, his voice small. “I-I thought you were testing me...”

“Oh I did test you. Yes, that was part of the plan. But I also wanted to make sure you were hurt before you got to me. I want to see how much you can take before you die.” Bardot said. He chuckled evilly and then raised his head up. “I needed some way to ensure my victory. You see, I cannot allow you to win. I have other things in mind after this. I went after you and your friends not just because they’re tasty, not just because I wanted to test you...but because you three were the biggest obstacles in my plans.”

“S-So you do have a reason for all this...” Snap said.

Bardot shook his head. “Well...yes and no. All this..it was just entertainment for me. And what I am going to do after? More entertainment. Lives are just games to toy with. You and everyone else are my play things, here to entertain me. I do what I want because I want to. And after you three are gone, I’ll take care of some other...unwanted weight..” At that, Snap gave a brief struggle, reminded of what Mr. Cosmo said about him before he tried to murder him with water. “Then I’ll be free to choose to...play with..whoever I want.”

Snap couldn’t believe it. This zoner..he was crazier than he thought. His actions still had no rhyme or reason. He was still doing things just because. But the fact that he wanted to get rid of him, his friends, Terry, Wilter, the parents, some others, just so that he’d be free to do what he wanted... That was just disgusting. Snap had to find a way to fight back against this guy.

Bardot moved his paw towards Snap’s chest gash, where Draow had hit him. He gently placed his claws straight across it. He applied a little pressure, causing Snap to yelp. After pushing on the wound, he lifted it up. He smiled as he saw the blood stains on the bottom of his foot. He flexed his claws, staring at the tips, as he glanced down at Snap.

“You did perform admirably. You really are someone not to underestimate.” Bardot said. He lowered his paw again, this time the claws facing down. “But I have had my little fun with you. And soon, it will be time to end it. Oh...I wonder what your chalk friends will think...when they find your corpse and realize you had failed...”

“Rapsheeba...Blocky...?” Snap gasped. With anger now arriving in his body, he narrowed his eyes. Despite his fear, he spoke in a low voice. “Don’t you fucking dare touch them...or I’ll...”

“Or you’ll what? Not like you can do anything right now, Snappy boy.” Bardot teased him, a sneer spreading across his face. “I hold all the cards right now. Everything had gone, more or less, my way. You...you’re in no position to do much of anything against me. But me...I can do oh so much to you..”

As if to demonstrate, Bardot shoved all three claws against Snap’s chest, right into the wound Draow had given him. Snap’s eyes went wide, tears dripping out of the corners, and let out a loud scream. He struggled on the ground, turning his head from side to side, trying to get the pain to stop. Bardot pushed the claws in deeper, drawing out more blood and making the wound larger.

The pain...oh man the pain... It was horrific.. It was like someone was pouring hot lava over him. He started to cry from the pain, letting out a few shouts of agony. Bardot kept his claws in there, smiling down as Snap continued to cry in distress. Then, slowly, Bardot pulled out two of his claws, keeping one inside the chest wound. He started to push upward a little and to the side, cutting more of the skin. Snap struggled harder, yanking at his limbs, trying to pull away.

Then, with a twisted smile, Bardot shoved harder. Snap let out a loud scream as he felt the claw break through his ribcage, and sliced right into one of his lungs. The feeling of it collapsing was horrific. He felt his breathing quickening, his body trying harder to get more oxygen into his body. His body stiffened as Bardot suddenly yanked his claw out, blood dripping onto his body and sticking to Bardot’s claws.

Snap whimpered from the pain. Agony started to overwhelm his mind. The world around him started to blur and lose focus. He felt the ground beneath him spinning. The reduced oxygen and increased blood loss...they were mingling together, weakening him physically and mentally. And the pain, oh man the pain, it was getting worse by the second...

Everything hurt now... Everywhere. There was not one area of his body that wasn’t radiating in intense pain. Even the act of breathing hurt now. He felt as though he was slicing his lung every time he took in a breath or exhaled, no matter how slow or soft he did it. He kept his mouth open instinctively as his body, starving for oxygen, tried to suck in as much air as possible.

Snap stared up at Bardot with an expression of fear and hatred. “I...I will stop you..” Snap said, his voice weaker from having only one functioning lung. “I told Draow...and I will tell you... I will not give up... I..I will not let my friends down...I promised to save them...and I will...”

Bardot laughed at this. “Oh my you really are full of spirit! Even after all this time! How impressive!”

Snap glared at him, one eye part way closed from the pain.

“But you will need more than just spirit to win against me. Even now, your body is weakening. I can tell, just from looking at your expression, that your level of pain is increasing. Your adrenaline, it made it easier for you to deal with the pain. But soon...you will feel the full effects, and when you do...” Bardot gave a cruel laugh. He turned his head to the side, staring at Snap with one bright green eye. “You will be unable to save yourself, let alone anyone. You will be easy for me to kill..”

Snap attempted to struggle again. But with each struggle, he felt more and more strength leaving him. He was getting weaker. The blood loss was taking effect, and the pain was increasing. His weakened breathing was complicating things. How was he going to get out of here? There had to be a way. It all looked so hopeless..but no..he couldn’t give up. He wouldn’t give up..not now...

Snap glared up at Bardot, clenching his teeth tightly from a mixture of fear and anger. He noticed Bardot hadn’t used his venom on him yet. He made no attempts to bite him, not even mock ones. He wondered if it was because he wanted to save the venom for later. Or maybe he was just waiting for the right moment. Maybe he was going to wait until he least expected it...

“You know, despite being so clever...” Bardot said as-a-matter-of-factly. He tightened his grip on Snap’s wrists. “..I am amazed you haven’t figured out what I was doing this whole time...”

Snap looked up at him, confused. He didn’t know what he was talking about. All he was doing was just..standing there and talking to him. He kept him still, he injured him more, but mostly he was just talking or staring at him. There wasn’t a lot going on. They hadn’t even begun to fight yet. Snap didn’t know why this guy hadn’t tried fighting him yet. He didn’t know why he was just holding him down.

But then, a cold chill went up his spine. Horrific realization spread through his veins, turning them to ice. That was it... He wasn’t doing anything... Not only that, he wasn’t allowing him to do anything either. He wa just holding him there. And it wasn’t because Bardot didn’t want to fight. There was a purpose behind him just standing around talking. There was a reason why they hadn’t gone into battle yet. There was a reason why Bardot seemed a little more interested in just staring at him or talking to him than he was beginning the battle.

He was wasting time...

Snap’s eyes shot towards the direction where his friends lay on the ground. Bardot was deliberately using up his time so he would have little time to go save them... How much precious time had he lost just talking to this insane zoner? How much time did he have left now?

Snap couldn’t believe what a fool he had been. He should have known that Bardot would pull something like this. He should have known that this zoner would be just the type to pull a trick like this. Knowing that Bardot was deliberately wasting his time, Snap struggled even harder to get free. He still couldn’t make Bardot let go. Again and again he pulled, but no luck.

“I see it finally clicked with you. Yes, I’ve been...killing time...” Bardot turned his head to look at Rudy and Penny. “So little time left... I would say they have just one hour left.” He laughed evilly. He looked back down at Snap. “I wonder if you could even manage that.”

At first, it did seem hopeless. With only one hour left and time continuing to tick away, Snap had no idea how he was going to get out of this mess. He couldn’t even free himself. He knew that Bardot was going to hold him down until it was too late to save his friends. He was going to force him to watch them die, helpless to do anything about it. Then, he was certain, he was going to bite him with venom and kill him.

This had been part his plan this whole time. He had planned, from the start, for Snap to be so hurt that he could barely fight back. He had planned to mock and tease him about saving his friends, telling him he would be given a chance to save them. And while he has that chance, Bardot was doing whatever he could to make sure he missed that chance.

Minutes passed by and there was no change. Snap hadn’t been able to free himself. He glared hatefully at Bardot. Once in a while, he look back at his friends. His lower lip quivered as he thought that this might be the very last time he’ll see them. The thought...it was heart wrenching. He...he didn’t want this to be the end...

Snap again thought of the incident with Mr. Cosmo. He recalled how hopeless it seemed then. Everything seemed to Mr. Cosmo’s way. He had been so close to victory. He had caused so much pain. Then Snap realized that, despite how hopeless it was, they still won. They still managed to find a way to turn the tides. And he realized he could still do it here.

Seeing Bardot’s injuries reminded him that this guy wasn’t invincible. He was wounded like himself. Not as badly, but he was still wounded. The blood caked on the zoner’s back, shoulder, and ear was further proof of this. Mr. Cosmo, despite how dangerous he was, could still be injured, and was ultimately killed. And though Bardot was worse, he still had blood and bones..he could still be hurt...

“A shame your friends are going to die soon...”

Snap glared daggers at the hybrid zoner, baring his teeth at him.

“They were so much fun to toy with. Especially Rudy. You should have heard him crying out for mercy when I started to break his arm.” Bardot said, laughing. “I would love to hear him scream again...as well as Penny... I wish you could have seen it, Snappy boy.” Bardot reached down with his claw and scratched along Snap’s cheek, cutting a small gash in it. Snap winced at this. “They were defiant. They did resist. But in the end, even they had to succumb to the pain. No one can resist..not even the strongest among us. And them...well...” Bardot lowered his head a little. “They were so much fun to break.”

Snap widened his eyes in horror at this. His mind flashed back to Mr. Cosmo again. He remembered being in the tunnel with Mr. Wilter and Rapsheeba. He remembered when Mr. Cosmo came and yanked him away. The man held onto him and told him that he was fun to break...

And now, hearing those words again, this time about his friends, it caused emotion to well up inside of him. Fear... Horror.... He remembered how Mr. Cosmo broke him and how he continued to break him. Now his mind was filling up with images of his friends, on the ground, begging for mercy. He could see Bardot and Draow beating them up, slicing them with their claws. And they would be calling for him. Rudy and Penny...they’d call for him, beg him for help. And he couldn’t do anything about it.

But being reminded of Mr. Cosmo didn’t only have negative effects on him. There was a positive one as well. A renewed determination started to swell inside his mind. He never wanted anyone to go through what he did with Mr. Cosmo. Knowing that is what is happening to his friends, and knowing just how they felt, knowing the meaning of fear.... Snap was more determined than ever to save them.

With anger spreading through his body, mixed in with hatred and determination, he narrowed his eyes at the hybrid zoner. He took notice that Bardot had placed his paw on the ground again. The injured paw...

Snap struggled again. By shere luck, he managed to dislodge one of his arms. The one closest to the injured paw. Bardot looked surprised that he managed to free his hand from his grasp. Snap twisted his body a little, ignoring the pain, and positioned his fist. Then, moving as quickly as he could, he slammed his fist against the injured paw as hard as he could. A wave of pain was sent through Snap’s hand; it was been the some one he used to punch Draow. He pulled his hand back and gave a cry.

He wasn’t the only one in pain. Bardot let out a scream and he lifted up his paw to himself. Through his pain, Snap realized that Bardot’s grip on his legs had loosened up. He yanked out one of his legs and managed to land a kick on him, sending the zoner into the ground.

Slowly, Snap staggered to his feet. He was in great agony. Every movement was like being electrocuted all over again. Still, he fought against the pain, tears flowing down his face, as he stood up. He glared in Bardot’s direction. He could feel blood pouring from his chest wound. The blood dripped on the ground, creating pools of redness. He took a step towards Bardot, only to be struck with agony and hunched over, holding onto his chest wound.

Bardot’s eyes were wide. He looked genuinely shocked. “I can’t believe you managed to get up after all that. You should be in too much pain to move...”

“Heh..you’d..you’d be surprised...what people are willing to go through...to save the ones they love..” Snap said, a weak smile on his face. His breathing quickened a little more as he tried to get more oxygen. “I...I am not staying down...that easily...”

Bardot stared at him with a surprised expression for a moment. Then he smiled darkly. “Well...I guess I should be glad you are standing. You will be much more fun to kill this way...” With that, he charged towards the injured zoner, letting out a loud snarl.

Snap stood his ground, glaring at Bardot. He took a fighting stance and waited for the monster to collide with him.


	45. The Start Of The Battle

Just like he had predicted, Mumbo Jumbo wasn’t entirely thrilled that Skrawl came back for questioning. He flat out told the jellybean that his friend had been through enough, and that he wasn’t comfortable with talking about Bardot. But the king was understanding enough of the situation and hadn’t tried to kick him out of the room. That didn’t stop him from glaring at the jellybean during their conversation, making it quite clear that he wasn’t pleased with him.

Barney wasn’t happy either. He didn’t seem to react in anger towards Skrawl. That was how he would have reacted had he been healthy and perfectly fine. He was never pleased with people coming to him for information. This time, it wasn’t because Skrawl came for information, but because he did so regarding someone he was terrified of. It had been difficult for him to talk about Bardot at all, even if it was just regarding one of his inventions and not Bardot himself.

This gave Skrawl an uncomfortable thought earlier. Had Barney been taken to Bardot’s hideout at least once and tortured there? That would explain why even Bardot’s inventions made Barney uncomfortable. If he had to see them up close and personal....no wonder he was upset. He could certainly sympathize with him. Though his stay clearly wasn’t as horrific, his encounter with Mr. Cosmo did help him understand Barney’s fears on some level.

However, that thought he had before, it made Skrawl realize that Barney might be able to help them find the hideout. If he really had been there, he might be able to take them there, or give directions or something.

But even if Barney knew the location, that didn’t mean they could get there. Skrawl reminded himself of their other problem. The cameras. He needed a way to hide himself and anyone else he brings with. They needed to find a way to go undetected. The EMP pulser worked well, but only in confined spaces. If they tried the same thing outside, sure it’ll stop cameras within the radius, but any camera outside that area would still see him. And Bardot would still know what was going on.

With Barney’s huge collection of knowledge, he must have something that would help them. Something that he could use more than once, would last for a long time, and let him bring more than one zoner with him. And it had to be portable, too. Nothing heavy that could be seen from a mile away. Something stealthy...

But getting information from Barney now was not going to be easy. The centipede had grown even more wary about talking to him regarding Bardot. After being abused by the hybrid zoner for so long, it came as no surprise to Skrawl nor King Mumbo Jumbo when Barney froze and whimpered even at just the mere mention of Bardot’s name. Both of them could only imagine what he had gone through. Mumbo Jumbo got a taste of it when he confronted Bardot at the hospital. Skrawl never saw it, but from the king described, it was horrific.

And to think that was just a small display... Barney said that the monster had done a lot worse to him before. And how he did it over and over again. Each time he spoke about Bardot, he grew more and more distressed. Even in the safety of his friend’s company, he still acted like Bardot would show up at any moment.

The promise of stopping Bardot was the only thing that gave Barney enough strength to talk about him a litle more, or anything Bardot-related. Barney was the only zoner who had the information they could use to stop the crazed zoner. He was the only one who could have even the slightest chance of helping them to find the hideout he and Draow went to.

But all the questions asked earlier, and now Skrawl came again for more... The jellybean began to realize that he must be sounding an awful like like Bardot right about now. That evil zoner had came after him time and time again for information. And he would beat the information out of him even if Barney was going to give it up willingly.

And now here Skrawl was, doing the same thing. Well almost. He hadn’t tried to harm Barney for the information. He was just asking for it. But him coming again and again...that was something Bardot was doing. Skrawl realized that his behavior might also have contributed to Barney’s nervous behavior. Skrawl would stop but they had some important issues to take care of first. They had to find Bardot and Draow and stop them somehow.

He knew Barney and Mumbo Jumbo understood this well enough. They knew what danger they posed to other citizens of ChalkZone. Yet, despite that, Mumbo Jumbo was growing irritated with Skrawl coming for more information again, and Barney was getting more and more nervous every time Skrawl came back for information. But it wasn’t like Skrawl had much of a choice in the matter. It wasn’t like he had a wealth of knowledge regarding Bardot.

Out of the three who stood in the hospital room, only one of them had information they could use to their advantage. And that was Barney himself.

“Look, I understand you want to stop this guy. I completely sympathize. I want him stopped, too, especially after what he did to my friend after all this time.” King Mumbo Jumbo said. “But isn’t there a way to do it without having to consult my friend so many times regarding...that guy?” He carefully avoided saying the evil zoner’s name for fear of freaking out his friend. “In case you didn’t notice, he’s in no position for...”

“Yes, I know.” Skrawl raised his hand to silence the turtle. “But what do you want me to do? He’s the only one I know of who knows a lot about this guy. And he has Rudy and Penny captured. We don’t have much time to be feeling sorry for ourselves. We...”

“Feeling sorry for ourselves? Is that what you think this is?” Mumbo Jumbo growled. He walked a few steps towards Skrawl and jabbed a stubby, clawed finger in his direction. “Well I’m sorry if the abuse of my friend is just some trivial boo-hoos to you!”

Skrawl took a step back. “That isn’t what I meant!” He rubbed his forehead with one hand. “Okay, look, we need to find where this hideout is, and figure out a way to get there without being seen. Barney is the only one I know who has enough knowledge and might be able to help in such a short time frame. I’m sorry that I keep coming back for information. I’m sorry I keep talking about Ba....him. But what do you expect me to do? Lives are on the line here!”

There was a bit of silence for a few seconds. Skrawl gave them some time to think about what he said before he continued. He wanted them to let what he said sink in. They knew how serious it was. Now he hammered it home, making sure it stuck.

“I’m no more happy about this than you are two are. But right now, we need to stop those two zoners. If you don’t help me, then there’ll be a lot more who will end up like you, Barney.” Skrawl said, narrowing his eyes. “Could you really live with that?”

Barney let out a soft whimper and tears dripped down his face. Mumbo Jumbo took a step in front of his friend, glaring at the jellybean. Skrawl took a step back just in case the king decided to get physical with him. He didn’t like the way he was looking at him.

“Now that’s enough!” King Mumbo Jumbo shouted. “You’re upsetting him even more! Do you know a thing about sympathy?”

“Do you know how many zoners will end up hurt if he doesn’t continue to help me?” Skrawl retorted back. He did feel a little bad for getting a little rougher than before. But he needed the information and fast. “And if Rudy and Penny are killed, that leaves us with no creators. And with no creators, with this..Bardot guy having creator powers in the form of blue chalk, and with the blue chalk so hard to find...we will be at a disadvantage.”

Skrawl turned his head to Barney. The centipede zoner had his head turned away. His face was pointed to the ground. He couldn’t tell if he was feeling guilty about something or what. His body was shaking a little. Skrawl knew he might be getting a little too aggressive, and made an effort to talk a little softer and gentler.

“Look I’m sorry I keep trying to pry information from you. I’m not trying to get like Bardot.” He noticed the centipede shaking a little harder at the mention of that name. “But if you don’t help me, other zoners may suffer horrific fates, like you and the two creators. I know you aren’t the most social zoner, but I also know you do care about Rudy, Penny, and Snap, and I know you wouldn’t want others to suffer what you went through. You wouldn’t want to feel responsible for their deaths and suffering, now do you?”

At this, Barney took a step back away from Skrawl. He kept his head faced away from the jellybean, even though he couldn’t really see him. His antennas curled downward and his head lowered. He started to cry a little harder.

At this, the turtle had enough. He took a step towards Skrawl, glaring at him angrily.

“Enough!” Mumbo Jumbo growled in Skrawl’s direction. “You’re making him upset!”

“At ease, old friend..” Barney spoke. His voice was shaky. He took a step towards his tortoise friend and put a hand on his arm. “He’s right... I do need to help stop Bar...Bar...” His voice trailed off. Skrawl and Mumbo Jumbo knew what he was talking about. Barney sniffled and wiped his nose. “I want him somewhere where I know that he’ll..never harm me again...”

Mumbo Jumbo’s expression softened up. “Are you sure you want to do this?” He put a hand on his friend gently, carefully avoiding his wounds. “Because if you don’t feel comfortable, I can...”

Barney shook his head. “No...no I’ll be fine. I’ll be fine...” The centipede turned his attention to Skrawl. He walked towards his direction. “I’ll tell you what else I know about....Bardot...”

Skrawl nodded his head. “I’m listening.”

sss

Even Snap had to be amazed at how he managed to dodge the charge, especially since Bardot wasn’t that far away from him. The jump did hurt him, and it aggravated his chest would. He still managed to pull it off, if just barely, letting Bardot land on the ground next to him.

Bardot quickly changed direction and went after him again. Snap narrowed his eyes and pulled his fist back, the opposite one this time, and prepared to punch. He waited until Bardot got a certain distance, then he moved around to the side. He slammed his fist against Bardot’s injured shoulder, causing the zoner to screech and crumple on the ground. Snap took this chance and jumped onto him.

Bardot being smaller did make it easier for Snap to slow him down with his weight. He wrapped his arms around Bardot’s neck, like he had with Draow, and pulled tightly. There was a gagging sound and Bardot began to try to force him off. However, Snap had made a miscalculation, one that almost cost him dearly. With him being roughly the same size as Bardot, it meant that he was a larger target, and since he was a larger target...

Snap screamed in surprise when Bardot slammed his jaws shut next to his arm. The sudden attack was enough to make him let go. He slid around Bardot’s side, his head almost touching the ground. Bardot then stopped suddenly and, mustering up strength, flung Snap’s body into the ground. Snap let out a scream as he rolled across the floor. He shook his head and looked over as Bardot rushed towards him. Snap stood up shakingly and tried to punch him again.

Bardot, however, learned fast. He got the best of Snap this time. He moved out of the way as the blue boy tried to deliver a punch. He went around to Snap’s side and struck him down with his claws. Blood splattered the ground as Snap was flung into the hard, unforgiving floor again. Bardot struck a second time, making his back wound even deeper. He then jumped back, landing a bit aways from Snap, and sneered at him.

Snap raised himself off the ground with his arms and he looked in Bardot’s direction. He refused to believe that this is all that Bardot had to offer. Granted, he was still vicious, but he expected him to fight harder than that. He had expected more. And he had a feeling he would get more. He must be deliberately holding back. He must be prolonging the fight. Snap knew that had to be the case. Bardot was just playing with him like he was just some inanimate toy.

That notion appeared to be proven when Bardot started to run around him. He didn’t run quite as fast. The injuries he sustained did slow him down. He was still, however, faster than Snap himself in his current state, and it was still a little hard to keep up with him. Snap looked left and right, watching as Bardot ran circles around him. He tensed up, preparing for him to lunge at him at any given time.

And then he did, but not in the way Snap expected. Rather than pin him down, what Bardot ended up doing was jump at him and bump him with his head, pushing him down. Again and again, Bardot headbutted him, only to pull back away before he could land a blow. And where he would strike was randomized. He might hit him from the front, the side, or his back. Snap had tried a few times to get onto his feet, but each time, Bardot would come at him and strike his legs with the back of his paw, deliberately holding back by not using his claws.

Yeah, he was playing with him. Bardot wasn’t fighting seriously. He was so confident he would win, Snap was so injured, that Bardot got a little ‘playful’, if that would be the right term. For a little while longer, Bardot would just run around Snap and strike him at random. He wouldn’t bite or slash him. He would just use enough force to knock him across the ground, all just for the ‘fun’ of it.

Snap growled softly. He couldn’t believe he was being treated like a toy. He couldn’t believe that Bardot was wasting his time. The zoner was just delaying him. He was keeping his distance and wasn’t using lethal force because he didn’t want him to die just yet. He wanted him to witness his friends dying. He wanted to make sure that he couldn’t land a blow on him until it was too late.

Snap grew tired of this delaying game. He started to rush towards where Bardot was sitting. He prepared to punch him. As he ran, his movements were a little awkward, the blood loss and weakness taking a stronger hold now. Bardot just grinned as Snap got closer to him. Then he just jumped out of the way, letting Snap punch nothing but empty air. The blue zoner whipped his head around and growled as Bardot landed a foot away from him and then ran off, putting more distance between them.

Bardot smiled at him, tilting his head to the side. He lifted up his paw and waved at him mockingly. Snap rushed towards him again. His second attempt to punch him did no good. Bardot, using whatever remained of his speed, still managed to keep out of the way. Snap wasn’t sure how he was going to beat this guy if he couldn’t even get close enough to him to attack.

When he tried to run again, he was forced to stop. His head started to spin again, this time worse than before. A dull pain throbbed through it. He stopped in his tracks and started to rub his head. Then his chest started to hurt really bad, and it became a little harder to breathe. He started to cough, blood getting into his lungs. He fell to his knees, a hand on his head and another on his chest. And those were just two areas being wracked with pain.

He was only on his knees for a second. When he put pressure on his injured leg, he let out a cry of pain and fell on his side. His body shuddered in pain. He realized that the full effects of his injuries were starting to come into the fray now. The one thing he didn’t want to happen.... Now was a bad time for this... He had to try to fight back against the pain somehow...

But this time, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t ride out the pain. He remained frozen on the ground, his body shaking from the pain. Unable to hold back, he let out a few whimpers, his eyes shut tightly. He heard laughter and he opened up a pained eye. He saw Bardot walking towards him slowly, his lips curled back into an evil grin.

“See what I mean? Too much pain to move. Looks like your...adrenaline is starting to wear off.” Bardot taunted him. He walked around him in a wide circle, his eyes going over Snap’s injuries. “Ah yes...it won’t be long now... You won’t be able to take much more. And fighting me...well that’s going to send you to your grave sooner.”

“If I save my friends by doing so...” Snap growled. “I-I will do it...”

Bardot chuckled. “Oh I know that. That is why this battle is going to be fun. I get to see here, more than anywhere, just how much of a beating you can take.” He licked his lips slowly and he took another step towards Snap. His eyes bore into his. “I have to wonder what you taste like...”

Snap’s eyes widened in horror at this. This just made Bardot’s creepy smile grow broader.

“What? You thought I only ate humans?” Bardot asked coldly. He shook his head once. “Oh no. I’ve eaten a few zoners myself. I prefer humans, but zoners are much easier. No need to dehydrate them...”

Bardot moved around behind Snap. He pressed his paw against Snap’s back and held him down. He lowered his head to Snap’s injured back. He licked along the gash, causing Snap to let out a pained and terrified whine. Bardot then backed off, getting out of the way before Snap could land a defensive blow on him. He moved around until he stood in front of Snap.

“I like the taste of your blood, Snap.” Bardot said in a creepy voice. “Perhaps I should kill you know before you lose too much...”

Snap bared his teeth. “Y-You’re sick...”

“And you’re delicious.” Bardot said tauntingly. “And oh so naive. You still think you can save your little friends? Look at yourself.” Bardot made a gesture with his paw. “You’re covered in wounds. You’ve lost a lot of blood. You can barely move right now. What hope do you have...” He placed a paw on his chest. “...to defeat me..?”

Snap didn’t bother replying. He narrowed his eyes at the monster. He watched as Bardot paced around him once more, taking another note of his injuries. It was like he was a vulture and he was examing his prey. That was very well what he was doing. Bardot had announced his intentions on eating him as well. He truly was a monster.

Snap glared at Bardot as he was being examined like a piece of meat. The way Bardot looked at him, he could tell Bardot saw him as just an object. He had made that perfectly clear. He could see him licking his chops slowly. His tail moved from side to side. Bardot stared at him eagerly, venom and saliva dripping from his fangs.

Then a cold shudder went up Snap’s spine as he realized Bardot was staring at him hungrily. Oh no...was he going to try to kill him now? If he tried to bite with those fangs..would he be able to get out of the way in time? Snap’s eyes widened as Bardot gave him a creepy grin, almost like he was reading his mind and confirming what he was about to do.

Snap struggled up, and managed to get on his knees without falling over. He opened his mouth a little wider, taking in quick breaths. He coughed up a little more blood. He looked over at Bardot as the zoner came back towards him again.

“Perhaps...I should change my plans a little...”

Snap’s heart started to pound. He glared hatefully at Bardot, doing his best to hide his fear. He raised up a fist defensively, threatening to strike him if he got too close. Bardot didn’t even acknowledge this. He continued walking towards him as if nothing had happened.

“I don’t need to do anything more to your friends. They will die soon enough. I care not about blood loss with them. The less fluid they have in their bodies, the better.” Bardot said as he got even closer to Snap. “But with you...the more blood you lose, the less...tasty you will be. Maybe I should speed things up a little.”

Snap’s eyes widened. He attempted to get back up. Though he managed to stand on his feet, he didn’t stay like that for long. A second later, Bardot jumped on him. He knocked Snap onto his back. Bardot stood on him, using his weight to hold him down. He pressed his paw against his chest wound, causing Snap to cry out in pain. With his other paw, he gripped his arm and yanked it up. He stared at it, vicious intentions glowing from his eyes.

Snap struggled to get his arm free. He yanked on it again and again. It wouldn’t budge. Snap watched in fear as Bardot opened his mouth and started to move his jaws towards his arm. Snap struggled frantically to get away. He pounded his fist against Bardot’s shoulder. This time, Bardot remained there. He did flinch in pain, but he remained focused on this task. In just a couple seconds, the fangs would go into Snap, and he will die. He had to find a way out of here and fast.

Snap’s eyes widened. He attempted to get back up. Though he managed to stand on his feet, he didn’t stay like that for long. A second later, Bardot jumped on him. He knocked Snap onto his back. Bardot stood on him, using his weight to hold him down. He pressed his paw against his chest wound, causing Snap to cry out in pain. With his other paw, he gripped his arm and yanked it up. He stared at it, vicious intentions glowing from his eyes.

Snap struggled to get his arm free. He yanked on it again and again. It wouldn’t budge. Snap watched in fear as Bardot opened his mouth and started to move his jaws towards his arm. Snap struggled frantically to get away. He pounded his fist against Bardot’s shoulder. This time, Bardot remained there. He did flinch in pain, but he remained focused on this task. In just a couple seconds, the fangs would go into Snap, and he will die. He had to find a way out of here and fast.

Then, as time seemed to slow down as Bardot was about to inject him with venom, Snap took notice of something. Bardot’s body wasn’t straight as he stood on him. Rather, it was curved, probably to concentrate his weight on one area, his chest and stomach, to make it harder for him to move. While it did work in Bardot’s favor, it was also a mistake because his tail was close enough for Snap to reach.

He looked up at the approaching jaws. Then back at the tail again. He wasn’t sure if it was going to work. It was risky, but he didn’t see any other options. As he saw the jaws start to close, he reacted as quickly as he could. Taking the tail in his free hand, he yanked it over and straight into Bardot’s mouth as it shut all the way.

Bardot’s eyes flew open as his own teeth, minus the fangs, sank into his tail. Blood dripped from the small puncture wounds he gave himself. The fur on his tail puffed up, his ears and crest straightened. He threw his head back and let out a screech of pain.

Snap took this chance and punched Bardot off of him. He struggled to his feet again. He let out a few groans of pain as he stood there, his body shaking from the pain. Though he was in great agony, he managed to stay on his feet. He panted a few times, staring at where Bardot had fallen into the ground. He watched as the yellow and red zoner got up to his feet.

Slowly, Bardot turned his head towards him. His expression was chilling. A mixture of anger and demented delight. His pupils shrank and a psychotic smile spread across his face. He started to laugh. A cold laughter nothing like he heard from this guy before.

“You know...that was a really smart move...” He said in a creepy tone of voice. The smile broadened for a second. Then he turned his head to the side, his muzzle pointed to the ground. He stared at Snap with a single green eye. “Too bad it will be the last move you’ll ever make. Be prepared, Snappy boy.” He raised his head up, his teeth bared in an evil smile. “You’re luck has run out... because now the gloves are off. I have been holding back...but no longer...”

Eyes growing wide, Snap took a step back, staggering a little from the pain. He already had known Bardot was holding back, but he could barely manage against him when he was using just part of his strength. If that was what he could do when he wasn’t even trying that hard...

...what was he like when he wasn’t holding back?

“Time to die, Snap...” Bardot laughed.

He pawed the ground, claws scraping along it, preparing to rush towards him. Snap, despite being afraid, took a fighting stance. This fight was far from over.


	46. Let's Turn Up The Pain, Shall We?

Before Snap knew it, Bardot was upon him. The hybrid zoner slammed his head against his body with as much force as he could muster. Snap screamed as he was sent flying backwards into the ground. He tumbled across before finally coming to a stop near the entrance of the room. As he tried to get up, he felt Bardot snag him by his scarf and drag him back, uncaring if he was aggravating his injuries or not.

Once he dragged him a few feet away from the door, Bardot stood onto his hind legs, raising Snap off the ground. He started to slam him against the hard floor. He did this again and again, smashing Snap’s head and shoulders against the ground. Snap kept letting out pained screams as he kept hititng the ground. A few small cuts appeared and his face started to bruise. Then Bardot pulled his head back and threw Snap head long into the wall.

Snap collided with the wall, his forehead smashing against it. He laid on the ground, on his stomach, moaning in pain. The blow to his head left him dazed and stunned for a few seconds, his vision partially blurred. He managed to get onto his knees and he rubbed his sore head, trying to feel the extent of the damage.

Bardot came rushing towards him and he grabbed Snap by the back of his head. He lifted him up a little off the ground and sneered at him before he slammed the blue zoner’s head against the wall, smashing his face against the bumpy rocks. Then, holding him there as hard as he could, he pulled downward, scrapin Snap’s face along the rocks. Once he was back on his knees again, Bardot released them and then delivered a kick into his injured side, making him roll across the ground.

As Snap laid there in pain, as Bardot scraped across the ground as he prepared for another charge, the blue zoner wondered what he was going to do to get out of this. The adrenaline was either gone or its ‘suppress pain’ effects was diluted. His whole body was wracked in pain, feeling like it was set on fire. He could barely move without wanting to collapse in agony. He could barely fight back while Bardot, despite being wounded, was nowhere near as bad off as him.

He watched as Bardot ran towards him. Time almost seemed to slow down. Snap struggled to his feet, stammering as he tried to keep his footing. He saw Bardot rush towards him, mouth split wide open in preparation of biting him. Snap’s eyes widened in fear and jumped to the side.

He cried out in pain as he landed on the ground, his knees nearly buckling. He was able to get out of the way in time, though, and he looked back to see Bardot had fallen into the ground where he had stood. Snap managed to turn his stiff, pain-filled body around to face Bardot. He wasn’t sure how long he could keep this up. Even his own breathing was hurting him, and he wished he could just lay on the ground and rest.

But that was impossible for him to do right now. Not with what was going on. Not with his friends’ lives, and his own, on the line. He kept his feet firmly planted on the ground, panting heavily, and glared in Bardot’s direction. He was still standing. He was still breathing. He was still alive. And as long as he still had a heartbeat, as long as his friends were breathing, he was going to fight.

He was scared out of his mind. Bardot had gotten more vicious in his attacks. But he still stood his ground to face him. He watched as Bardot started to pace around him, a demented grin on his face. He was trying to find a weak spot to attack, he was sure. And that wasn’t going to be hard. He was covered in so many injuries. Snap knew that his life could be over quickly if he weren’t careful. Just one slip up was all it was going to take. He was at a disadvantage in this fight, and he was unable to stop the shivers of fear from going up and down his spine.

Yet he refused to run away. Bardot wasn’t invincible, no matter how vicious he became. If he could just land a few punches on him and use his own pain to slow him down, he could subdue him in time to save Rudy and Penny. He just had to wait for Bardot to get close enough and then take that chance to punch him. It wasn’t going to be easy, but he was willing to try it.

Bardot ran a wide circle around Snap. As he continued to run in circles, he ran closer and closer to Snap. The blue zoner tried to keep up with him. He looked left and right. Before he could react, he felt Bardot slam himself against his back, throwing him several feet away. He crashed heavily into the ground, wincing in pain as pressure was applied to his twisted ankle.

Snap didn’t know how much more of a beating he could take. It was a miracle that he hadn’t broken any bones besides a few ribs yet. He wasn’t sure how long that luck would be kept up. It would surely run out soon. And he didn’t know how he was able to keep consciousness this whole time. His body was covered in wounds and he lost a lot of blood. Why hadn’t he passed out yet? How much more could he take before he would fall down, never to get up again?

Snap stumbled to his feet. His body swayed from side to side. The pain was really getting to him know, messing with his sense of balance, making it hard to keep his eyes open all the way. Blood continued to pour from several of his wounds. Each breath felt like it was setting his lungs on fire. The loss of one lung made it really hard to breathe, even without pain involved. The feel of the cold air rushing into the wound in his chest was unsettling, one of the worst sensations he felt in his life.

Pain wracked through his whole body. Moving anything hurt. The full effects of the wounds were here now. Dizziness settled in. His vision got a little blurry. The effects of blood loss, such as fatigue, made itself known. With himself unable to even move without toppling over in pain, Snap was unable to get out of the way as Bardot rushed towards him again.

Bardot laughed cruelly as he stood in front of Snap, straightening his body on his hind legs to appear larger than him. He raised a paw and struck down, slashing into Snap’s already injured arm. Snap fell into the ground, screaming in pain. Bardot seized his foot, pushing his claws into the flesh, and threw him into the ground. The impact was so hard, Snap was genuinely shocked that no bones were broken.

Bardot leapt in Snap’s direction. Snap was just barely on his knees when Bardot pushed him back into the ground, prompting a scream from the humanoid zoner. Pushed up against the ground on his stomach, pressure placed on his wounds, Snap started to struggle. He kicked his legs and tried to pull himself free with his hands.

As he did this, the hybrid zoner grabbed his scarf again. Then he applied more pressure on his back, holding him still. With a hard yank, he pulled his head backwards and up.

Snap’s eyes widened as the piece of cloth put pressure against his neck, his head being yanked back. He started to gag, the pressure blocking his windpipe. With him already having a hard time breathing with just one lung and with the pain, this in addition made him all the more terrified. He opened his mouth wider and tried so hard to take in a breath. His struggles increased. He gripped the cloth on his neck and tried to pull it back. It was no use.

As he struggled to take in a breath, he heard Bardot laughing coldly at him and then he increased he pressure, pulling back even more. Snap made gagging sounds as he tried in vain to take a breath. His eyes widened and his heart raced. He looked around, desperate to find some way to get himself free. He looked up at Bardot, seeing him out of the corner of his eye. The hybrid zoner just smiled at him as he kept pulling his scarf back, trying to choke him to death.

Slowly, Snap’s struggles weakened and decreased. Energy was leaving him. His mind was going numb. He had a hard time keeping his eyes open, and they shut a few times. He fought to keep himself awake. His face was turning blue as his head lowered towards the ground. His body was becoming still, the world around him starting to go dark.

He could barely register the cold laughter from Bardot, who was apparently pleased that he had won this fight. He tightened his grip on Snap’s scarf and pulled even tighter in an attempt to finish Snap off. Snap’s eyes bulged at the pain of this, but found it almost impossible to move. The pressure on his neck increased and he thought the scarf was going to slice his head off.

Then something happened. Something that he did not expect.

When Bardot yanked on the scarf in a clear attempt to break his neck, there was a loud tearing sound. In a split second, there was a sharp pain in Snap’s neck and then nothing. All the pressure was suddenly released from him. As Bardot let out a yelp of surprise and fell off of Snap, the blue zoner suddenly took in a breath, his eyes wide in fear and shock.

Snap was on his knees, holding onto his throat. He breathed in and out quickly, trying to ride out the pain in his lungs as he got oxygen into his body as fast as he could. Slowly, some of his strength returned and his world sharpened up a little. He rubbed his throat, wincing at the soreness of where his scarf had cut into him, blocking his air supply. He turned his head to look behind him. Bardot had gotten up onto his feet again and was holding something blue in his jaws.

His scarf... Bardot must have pulled so hard that he wound up ripping the piece of cloth from his neck. Bardot’s plan had backfired on him due to his own actions. Snap let that sink in. The only reason he survived was because of a mistake Bardot had made. If this hadn’t happened...

...he would have died.

Bardot snarled as he glared at the piece of cloth in his jaws. He threw it aside, letting it lay on the ground. He glared at it. Snap half-expected Bardot to start blaming the scarf for him losing his grip on Snap, but he remained quiet. He turned his head towards Snap, his expression unreadable. Snap’s heart skipped a beat just looking at him.

“Well...that was inconvenient...” Bardot said in a cold voice. He glared at the cloth and then struck it aside, ripping it up as he did so. “Flimsy thing.” He turned his attention back to Snap. “No matter. There are other ways of...killing the lights if you know what I mean...”

With that, he started to stalk towards Snap, his tail swishing from side to side, like a cat ready to pounce on its prey. Snap watched, his body shaking from pain, as Bardot got closer to him. He could see his muscles tightening, flexing, ready to pounce.

And then he did. Bardot leapt into the air, his front paws out in front of him, the claws ready to tear into his already battered form. Snap, desperate to find a way to protect himself, let out a scream and pulled his fist back. When Bardot got close to him, Snap slammed his fist against the side of Bardot’s head. The force was enough to knock the hybrid zoner off course and he landed in the ground next to Snap. The blue zoner immediately backed away before the yellow and red zoner could attempt to bite him.

Bardot rubbed his head where Snap had hit him. A small bruise formed there. He got up off the ground and looked in Snap’s direction. He chuckled, the sound boring through Snap’s soul. He couldn’t tell if Bardot was angry or not. He didn’t like the way he was looking at him.

“Impressive that you managed to hit me in your...conditon.” Bardot’s green eyes scanned Snap’s body again. He then focused on Snap’s face, staring at him in the eye. “Just what I would expect from the unkillable...” He took a step towards Snap. He lowered his head, his ears lowering just a tad. “But you won’t have that title for long, Snappy boy. Your time...is almost up.”

Snap, despite his fears, glared at him. “I..I’m still s-standing...a-aren’t I..?”

“Yes but for how long?” Bardot laughed. “You are so badly hurt, I wonder if even the most extensive care unit can save you.” He turned his head towards the unconscious forms of Rudy and Penny. “I wonder, if they somehow survive this, what they’d think when they find out you’re dead? What a shame, don’t you think? To survive all that, only to find out that you died trying to save them. What a shame...”

Snap took a step towards the deranged zoner. The step hurt. It made him feel like he was walking on glass. His body trembled from the pain. Yet he still stood there, glaring as defiantly as he could at Bardot. “I-I-I am not down y-y-yet...” He took in a pained breath. “I w-won’t give up...” He straightened himself up, ignoring the pain the best he could. “I-I will not f-f-fail..my...friends...”

“Oh, but you already have...” With that, Bardot rushed towards Snap, his feet pounding against the ground.

Snap tried to punch Bardot. This time, he wasn’t so lucky. The beast grabbed his head in his paw and dragged him along. He ran up to the wall and crushed Snap against it, bending his arm at an odd angle. There was no snap, but the twist did pull a muscle, causing Snap to emit a howl of pain. When Bardot released him, he held his injured arm to his body. The arm was immobilized by pain. Tears forming in his eyes, Snap looked over as Bardot came at him again.

Bardot slammed his body against Snap’s, forcing the zoner into the ground. Snap found himself on his back. His body was rigid in pain, unable to move. His difficulty breathing made it harder and harder to concentrate. He looked up at Bardot, who kept him pinned down with his front paws.

Snap struggled weakly on the ground. He tried to move something, anything. His body was still filled with pain, and he had gotten even weaker from the loss of blood. He felt Bardot dig his claws into his body as he tightened his grip on him. Snap looked up, shuddering at the sight of those gleeful eyes staring back down at him. Bardot’s jaws slowly opened, exposing the entirety of his venomous fangs. Snap’s eyes widened, knowing what the hybrid zoner was going to do now.

“It had been fun, Snappy boy.” Bardot said, licking his lips as he stared hungrily at the blue zoner. “But all good things must come to an end..”

Snap tried again to free himself. The fear gave him a bit of strength. It wasn’t enough. He could barely lift his head off the ground, hard to keep his eyes open, let alone try to punch this guy.

“Goodbye, Snap. It was nice knowing you.” Bardot said softly.

Tears flowing down his face, Snap was unable to turn his eyes away as Bardot lowered his jaws to bite him.

sss

Mrs. Tabootie couldn’t take it. She tried to hold it back. She tried to keep herself calm. It just wasn’t working. Her body shook with emotion as she stared at the entrance of the rhino-like cave. She had her hands clasped together. She took a step towards the cave. A small one, her mind unsure if she wanted to head back in there or not.

She felt something tug on her. She looked down and saw it was that one zoner...what was her name.. Ah yes, Rapsheeba. One of Snap’s friends. She looked up at her with a sympathetic expression. She shook her head slowly.

Mrs. Tabootie stared at her, and then looked back at the cave. She couldn’t just stand here. She didn’t know if she could make herself remain still and wait for someone to come out. Every muscle in her body was tense. She wanted to make a run for it. She wanted to rush back in there. She could see the two zoners and the other humans were sympathetic towards her, but they all felt it was best to remain outside.

But how can she remain out here? Sure, she felt better being out of that dreadful place. But...Rudy and Penny were still inside... They were hurt. They were dying. Their time was almost up. If they didn’t get out here soon, they would be too late to take them to a hospital. They...they needed to get them out of there...now.

And then there was Snap.

The little blue zoner was very badly hurt when she had seen him. And he was only going to get worse as he continued to fight against these two evil zoners, Draow and Bardot. As much as she wasn’t sure how real he was, she could still tell he was in a lot of pain. She couldn’t just let him suffer like that. She had to do something.

But..what could she do against Bardot and Draow? And what if these two zoners, Blocky and Rapsheeba, were right? What if rushing in would only make things worse? With how bad things were already, they couldn’t afford anything worse.

As they were wandering through the tunnels, Snap’s screams echoed off the walls. They were intermixed with the howls and snarls of Draow, whose voice she came to know a little too well for her liking. The screams sent chills down her and the other adults’ spines. It was distressing to hear another being in so much pain, even if they were made of chalk. Regardless of how real she thought they were, the one thing she knew they had in common is that they could feel pain. And that was enough for her to sympathize with the blue zoner as she listened to him being beaten up.

She and the others waited outside of the rhino head. They hadn’t moved far from their spot. She hadn’t noticed any other zoners coming at them. Blocky commented that it was shere luck as usually predators do roam this area. He assured her that they wouldn’t try to eat them as zoners can’t eat real world food. Bardot is the only one who does. But she didn’t feel that assured, especially when Rapsheeba noted that the predators might still attack anyway.

Draow was proof of that aggression. He couldn’t eat them, but that didn’t stop him from biting them and clawing them. Being the first talking zoner they ran into, that was a terrible first impression that she and the others got. Add to that, the other talking zoner they met was Bardot, and he was even worse. Cruel, a cold-blooded monster... And any other zoner they had met before their capture had been predatory or aggressive, or both.

Before Snap showed up in their room to free them, she had thought that maybe it was indeed best to ban the kids from ChalkZone. Regardless of what good there might be to this place, knowing that dangers like Bardot and Draow lurked around, she became afraid that, if they lived through this, there might be another time where her son and friend would disappear, and this time, they’d never come back. Knowing that their children were in danger in a place like this, with monsters and predators around, keeping them out of ChalkZone might be the best course of action.

That notion was challenged when Snap came in. Like the other parents, Mrs. Tabootie was unsure of what to think of Snap, and was distrustful towards him. It did confuse her when she saw all the injuries, but in this world, a place she didn’t understand, she couldn’t use the wounds as an excuse to give Snap a chance. For all she knew, it was just to get her guard down. Snap could turn out to be just like the other zoners.

The only thing she knew about Snap was that he was Rudy’s creation. She had seen plenty of drawings of him. But what Rudy had drawn was just fictional stories, comics that he had published. She didn’t know what the real Snap was like. He could have turned out to be a total jerk, nothing like the hero that Rudy made him out to be in the stories.

Her opinion of Snap, her distrust of him, did start to change not simply because of what Terry told them, but it was because of what she had seen on the video. The way he kept throwing himself at Draow, fighting with him, keeping him away from Rudy and Penny... She knew the only reason he would do this was if he reall did care. His life was on the line. He could have been torn apart. Yet, there he stood, fighting against the larger, more powerful zoner.

That was when she knew Snap was more than just a friend to her son and his girlfriend. He was also a guardian of sorts. Terry said they were guardians of each other. And Mrs. Tabootie could see why. Seeing the video, she could tell how close of friends they were, and how much they were willing to sacrifice for each other.

She, her husband, and Mrs. Sanchez all agreed, as they stood outside the rhino head, that it was a nice change of pace to see something good about ChalkZone. It was nice to see, thanks to Snap, Rapsheeba, and Blocky, that not all zoners were vicious. It was definitely reassuring when Blocky mentioned that most zoners aren’t evil and wouldn’t try to hurt their children. She and the other parents were still wary of the dangers ChalkZone still had, but knowing there was indeed good in this place did help them feel better.

Her thoughts went back to their children, who were still stuck inside. She hoped they didn’t get more injured. Her lips quivered at the thought of those two monsters hurting them more than they already had. And with no cameras, they had no idea if Snap managed to win against Draow and Bardot. They didn’t know when he would come out with their children. All they could do was stand around and wait.

Not knowing was the worst part. As terrible as being forced to watch Rudy and Penny in agony, at least they could see them. They could see what their condition was. It was so much worse not knowing what was going on. She felt a pang in he heart as images flashed in her head, her imagination getting the best of her as she thought about different scenarios of what could be happening.

She felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked over and saw her husband. He gave her a sympathetic look. She leaned against him for comfort.

“Oh Joe...where are they?” She asked, tears forming in her eyes. “What if they don’t come out? What if..”

“Now now, Millie..” Mr. Tabootie said, smiling gently at her. He gripped her hand and gently squeezed it. “I’m sure they’ll make it out okay.”

Mrs. Tabootie wanted to believe her husband. She wanted to cling onto that hope. But time was running out. And with how badly hurt Snap was, she didn’t know if he could handle fighting against both Draow and Bardot.

“How can you be so sure?” Mrs. Tabootie asked, sniffling.

“Because Snap is Rudy’s creation. You and I both know how determined and stubborn Rudy can be. We know how he won’t give up so easily.” He put his hands on Mrs. Tabootie’s shoulders, gently squeezing them. “If Snap really was created by Rudy, then I am sure he has that same determination in him. I am sure that, just like Rudy, he won’t give up.”

Mrs. Tabootie felt tears stream down her face. “...yeah..I think you’re right...”

She and her husband gave each other a hug. In his embrace, she turned her head so she could look at the rhino-shaped entrance. As she recalled what had happened, as she thought about how Blocky and Rapsheeba helped her and the others escape, as she thought about Snap fighting to save their children, something came to her mind. A realization.

Maybe, just maybe...this place, this ChalkZone, despite what they had seen in Draow and Bardot...maybe it wasn’t so bad after all.


	47. Comeback

Snap stared up in horror at Bardot, his eyes focused on the fangs above him. His body shook from fear and pain. He tried to move, but he found that he was unable to. Most of his strength was gone now. He could only just lay there and wait for Bardot to bite down on him.

Despite Bardot’s talk of not holding back, he was taking his time. He was clearly savoring this moment. He just stood there, showing his fangs to the frightened and injured zoner. He knew he had won this fight. He knew Snap could no longer fight back. There was no need to speed things up anymore. And his venom would make short work of him. He could hold Snap down for a little while longer before he decided to bite. The anticipation of the bite was killing Snap. He was mentally tormented by the fact that he knew he would be bitten, but how long he had left, he wasn’t sure.

His body ached all over. His breathing got worse. Even just trying to move a limb a centimeter seemed impossible. He was frozen, both from the pain and from fear. He stared up at Bardot, his lower lip quivering. Tears flowed down his face. He couldn’t believe this was it. He couldn’t believe that, after all this, after how hard he had tried...he had ultimately failed...

He really hadn’t stood much of a chance. He should have known, once he got here, that there was no way he was going to win. He was already badly hurt when he arrived. Draow really beat him up during their battle. And Bardot...he was faster than he was. He was lucky to have gotten any hits on this guy at all. And he was the one in charge here. Draow answered to Bardot. Out of the two, Bardot was the worst one, the most vicious enemy of all. If he could control Draow, who was dangerous himself, Snap should have known he had bitten off more than he could chew.

Snap looked over at Draow, who laid on the ground close by. It was hard for him to believe that, just a short time ago, he had been struggling against that guy. It was shocking for him to realize that, despite how hard Draow was to defeat, he had been pretty easy compared to Bardot. Draow was larger and stronger, and he won against him. But now he was up against Bardot, who was faster and had potent venom he could use at any time.

And he knew, in a matter of seconds, that venom was going to be injected into his body. And there was nothing he could do about it. He couldn’t even move now. He was too weak, too wracked with agony and pain, to do anything except watch as Bardot his head a little closer to him, letting him get a good look at his fangs.

Staring into Bardot’s eyes filled with insanity, Snap felt his life flash before his eyes. Memories, both good and bad, both dreadful and pleasant, flooded his mind. He could see the time he and Rudy first met, when they first encountered Biclops, when he and Penny first met, all their various adventures, including dealing with Skrawl before he changed, finding Barney, trying to stop Vinnie and Terry, and the memories just kept coming.

More memories came into his mind as his brain kept flashing them. He remembered how he and Rudy helped to save Christmas in ChalkZone when the Santas were all injured. He remembered the type when a large taffy was swallowing up parts of ChalkZone and Penny managed to save them all. He could recall the time when Skrawl and Craniac 4 released a robotic Rudy to destroy the Chalk Mine. He remembered meeting Queen Rapsheeba for the first time, dealing with Jacko twice, stopping Boorat from exposing ChalkZone....

It was hard to believe that those adventures were over. It was hard for him to accept that this really was the end. Despite all he had gone through over the years, despite all the dangers he managed to survive, he was going to die in this cave by the teeth of this deranged zoner. And it wasn’t just him.

Rudy and Penny...they were going to die, too. Snap looked at them, his eyes watering. He couldn’t believe that he had let them down. He promised he was going to save them. But in the end, he had lost. He tried as hard as he could. He moved as fast as he could. He fought as hard as he could. But his struggles were all in vain. Rudy and Penny were going to die. And there was nothing he could do about it.

He stared at their prone forms. They were still unconscious. They hadn’t moved, not even a twitch of the finger. They looked so...so lifeless like that. Snap silently begged for them to show some signs of life. He begged for one of them to say something, anything. He took in shaky breaths as he could hear their voices in his head. Thoughts of the conversations they had together, no matter how trivial or stupid the subject, echoed in his mind. The more he listened to them, the more depressed he got, knowing he was never going to hear those voices again.

He knew their time was almost up. He guessed that Rudy and Penny only had maybe half an hour left now. He couldn’t tell. He didn’t have a watch and he wasn’t able to tell time. He wasn’t about to ask Bardot. He would rub it in his face. The last thing he needed right now is another verbal abuse round from this evil zoner. Tears flowed down his face, the full weight of his failure come crashing down.

This was it. This really was it. There was no escaping. There was nothing he could do. He stared up at Bardot. He watched as his evil smile spread across his face. He could see the venom drop on the tip of his fangs. He knew that it was going to go straight into his body. And this time, he wasn’t going to be able to stop it. He wasn’t going to be able to pull that tail trick again. Bardot would see to it that it won’t work a second time around.

He looked back over at Rudy and Penny. His lower lip quivered a little harder. He felt ashamed. He couldn’t believe that he had failed them. Now they were going to die and it was because he wasn’t able to stop Bardot. He had tried his best. However, his best just wasn’t good enough. All his determination and hope..they hadn’t been able to save them, or himself, in the long run.

“I-I’m sorry Rudy...” Snap whispered in a weak, faint voice. “I’m sorry Penny.. I’m so sorry I couldn’t save you guys...” He shed a few tears as he stared at their limp forms. He knew that was the last time he was going to see them. This was the last look he was going to be allowed.

“How touching...” Bardot said cruelly. “Now that you’ve said your last words...Let’s get this over with.”

Snap’s heart pounded as he looked up at Bardot. He was staring straight at his death. Reminders of Cosmo came back, when he had placed that vinegar where he could clearly see it. Now he was in the same situation. Standing above him was the zoner that was going to kill him. Dripping from his fangs was the venom that was going to kill him. He wanted to desperately to look away, but found himself unable to. Those eyes...he couldn’t tear himself away from them.

He could see the muscles in Bardot’s jaws tightening a little. He could see the tension building up in the neck. Bardot was preparing for a strike, much like a snake. His neck was pulled back, the tension clearly going towards the strength of the blow. Unable to speak, Snap just whimpered, staring into the jaws of death.

He did try again to move. He tried to do something. He tried to hit Bardot. But any time he moved, he was wracked in pain. He had to remain still, otherwise he would be in so much pain. More strength left him, making it even harder for him to move. Even the act of turning his head was impossible. He was unable to look away from Bardot even if he wanted to. He was forced to stare up at him as he got closer with this fangs, preparing to strike him.

Snap let his eyes closed. He whimpered softly as he waited for the final blow. He waited for his death to arrive. As he did, failure kept flashing in his head, hovering over him like a cloud. It taunted him, told him how he failed to keep his promise. He did nothing to fight back. At this point, it was too late for that.

He had no choice but to give up. His determination had come to an end. He couldn’t move. He couldn’t escape now. All he could do was just wait for the blow, and wait to die.

Then he heard something. A muttering sound. It was faint, but it was there. Using whatever strength he had left, Snap turned his head to the side. He looked over at his friends. His eyes wided slightly.

Penny was still unconscious, laying still as stone, minus her breathing. But Rudy...he was a different story. He had shifted a little, now laying on his stomach. His head was raised up, but just barely. His eyes stared at him. His breaths were shaky and weak. It was obvious it took what little strength he had to even hold himself up like that. His body shook a few times from the pain he was in.

For a few moments, Snap and Rudy stared at each other. Snap could see the fear in Rudy’s eyes. The boy tried to say something, but he was too weak to talk. His eyes, so full of fear, bored through Snap’s eyes. He could see just how frightened he was. Rudy saw Snap was in danger, and he looked absolutely horrified. He lifted up his uninjured arm and tried to crawl over. He immediately collapsed and cried in pain. Tears of pain flowed down his face as he stared at Snap, his eyes silently crying out ‘No’.

Staring at Rudy like this filled Snap with intense emotion. His stomach twisted in knots. He started to cry himself. The knowledge that this was the last thing Rudy was going to see of him..knowing that this is was the last thing he would see Rudy do, it was heartbreaking. He wished there was something he could do. He wanted so much to comfort Rudy. But what could he say?

He had lost..

Snap’s heart ached when he saw Rudy try to stand up. Snap knew, with his broken leg, that wasn’t going to work. As soon as Rudy put even the slightest pressure on his leg, he’d cry out in pain and fall back down. Rudy soon gave up and stared at Snap with a look of hopelessness and denial. He clearly didn’t want this to be the end. Neither did Snap. He wanted to do something to get free. He was too weak to move much.

Something clicked with Snap. The way Rudy was on the ground in agony, it reminded him of something all too well. It brought him back to when he was a prisoner of Mr. Cosmo. He remembered Rudy being brought in to the room with his cell. Snap was laying on the ground, staring at Rudy with that same expression the boy has on right now. Snap had looked so hopeless, so scared and frightened. Now Rudy was in the same posture.

Snap recalled how desperately Rudy tried to save him. He remembered how hard he and Penny tried to keep him safe. He himself wasn’t sure if they were going to make it. He had been so scared..so terrified... There had been no telling if he was going to get out of there or not.

But his friends...they never quit. They never gave up on him. They continued to try to save him. And against all odds, they had done it. They got him out of that horrific nightmare, and they helped him recover. It was a long, painful recovery, but he still pulled through.

The look in Rudy’s eyes reminded Snap what he himself had been through. He had been that scared before. He had been in that much pain before. He knew what it felt like to be tortured. He had never wanted them to suffer the way he had. And the knowledge that he had been through what they are now made Snap realize one thing.

He..he couldn’t give up. It seemed hopeless now, but he just couldn’t quit. He couldn’t just lay here and let Bardot win. His friends needed him now more than ever. He was their last hope. They never quit on him. He was not going to do the same to them. They had continued to fight for him. So will he. Despite his injuries, he would keep fighting for them. He was going to save them. He was going to defeat Bardot. And there was nothing that could be done to him to make him stop. Only death would make him stop.

And he wasn’t about to let that happen. Not now...

Snap felt adrenaline start pumping through his body again. The pain was still there, but now it was turning into energy. The pain served as a reminder of what he had gone through with Mr. Cosmo. It served to increase his determination to ensure they wouldn’t have to keep suffering like that. The pain reminded him of what his friends had gone through to save him from Mr. Cosmo. It reminded him of the strong friendship that they shared together. It reminded him that, no matter what, they don’t give up on helping each other.

Snap was not going down that easily. Slowly, he felt his strength returning. The adrenaline that spread through his body gave energy back to his limbs. Bardot growled at this. He pulled his head back and struck down. Snap’s eyes widened suddenly. And what happened next was nothing short of a miracle.

Bardot moved his head fast, striking down towards Snap. He opened his jaws a little wider. Suddenly, Snap shot his hands out faster than what seemed possible given his condition. Snap’s hands gripped the front of Bardot’s jaws, one on his lower one, and one on his top. And he managed to stop Bardot from moving any closer. Bardot’s eyes widened in surprise. He tried to push harder, tried to get close enough to bite. But Snap wasn’t budging.

The blue zoner started to push back. Slowly, little by little, he pushed Bardot’s head away from him. No matter how much Bardot tried to bite him, he couldn’t get any closer. Snap then started to close his mouth. Despite Bardot’s attempts, he couldn’t stop Snap from shutting his jaws together and keeping them closed. Still gripping on him, Snap pushed back even further, forcing Bardot to move one leg off of him.

Then, still holding onto Bardot’s muzzle, Snap lifted him up off the ground. Not a great distance, but enough so he could flip him onto his back. He slammed Bardot into the ground, still holding onto his mouth. He held him there for a few seconds before he released him.

Snap moved back. Moving still hurt him. He was still feeling really weak. The adrenaline, he knew, wasn’t going to last long. But now he didn’t have just adrenaline to help him. He had Rudy. Him being awake and watching him gave Snap the strength he needed to continue fighting. He was going to keep fighting back. And Penny...he wasn’t going to let her suffer either. He still had some fight left in Bardot.

He stood there, shaking in pain, as he glared hatefully at Bardot. The yellow zoner got up to his feet and shook his head. He stared over at Snap, his eyes widened in absolute shock. He panted heavily and kept his paw raised above the ground, his ears and crest perked up.

“I..I don’t believe it...” Bardot breathed. “Y-You stood up... You managed to get me off... You were on your deathbed. And you still managed to get up...”

Snap took a wobbly step forward, wincing at the pain. “I-I...told you...I wasn’t...g-giving up... I will not...stop fighting you..you c-can’t...keep me down...” It was difficult to speak with one functioning lung. “Y-You...cannot stop me...”

Snap took notice of the walls and ground. Some areas had cracked open a little. And where he had slammed Bardot into, there was a chip that went away, showing that parts of this cave were actually fake. Wood was exposed underneath. And, when he continued to stare, he saw a glint of blue.

The blue chalk...

He turned his attention back to Bardot. He acted like he didn’t see anything. He couldn’t let the evil zoner know he saw the blue chalk. He would need some way to get to it without looking suspicious.

“N-No matter what...you throw at me...I will still come back... I-I am going to b-be the one...to..defeat you...Bardot...” With that, he took another agonizing step forward. Bardot took a step back, still staring at him in shock. It was clear he did not expect Snap to be able to get up after all he had been through. “P-Prepare Bardot... This fight has...just gotten started...”

Snap took a few steps forward. They were very painful to take, but the adrenaline and the will to save his friends helped him endure the pain a little better. He kept pushing himself, forcing his body to move forward. He was not done fighting. Not yet.

Bardot took a few more steps back. For the first time, Bardot was looking at him in absolute fear. Eyes wide, ears folded back, Bardot put some distance between him and Snap. He shook his head from side to side in denial. Snap could have sworn he could see him shivering a little. Barely noticeable, but it was still there.

“N-No...it’s not possible... Y-You shouldn’t be able to stand...” Bardot said, continuing to shake his head. “Y-You really are the unkillable...” He whispered in a soft voice mixed with horror and realization.

“Come on...Bardot...” Snap said. He raised a hand and gestured to the yellow zoner. “Let’s...finish our fight..”

Bardot stared at Snap in horror and fear for a moment. Slowly he narrowed his eyes and bared his teeth. He took a fighting stance. In a matter of seconds, the duel was going to resume. But this time, something has changed.

This time, it was Bardot who was on the defensive.

sss

Skrawl felt stupid wearing this thing. A metal band went around his waste. With the push of a button, a polymorph shield went over his body. It looked pretty stupid to him. Although he could still walk just fine, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was going to run into something. The whole thing felt awkward to wear, and he didn’t like the chuckles he was getting from the other wardens.

He wasn’t the only one wearing them. Five of his Beanie Boys were also wearing them. They didn’t seem to mind it so much. They looked pretty happy to wear them, saying how pretty they were, with all the different colors that they shimmered.

The jellybean wasn’t sure at first if this was going to work. When Barney told him about these devices and where to find them, he wasn’t sure what to expect. But polymorph shields wasn’t what he thought they would be. He had doubts that they were even going to be effective. Barney had assured him that they would do the trick. Although Barney had a wealth of knowledge and likely knew more than he did, Skrawl still wanted to test it out to make sure.

So he put these things to the test a while ago. He temporarily turned off the EMP pulser and put up a new working camera. He walked in front of it a few times, doing a few different gestures so that the camera would catch his movement. Then he turned to check the security footage. Sure enough, he wasn’t on the camera anywhere, no matter how far back he rewound. Satisfied, he turned the EMP pulser back on, letting it do its job at frying any nano cameras that dared to infiltrate his facility.

The polymorph shields worked by reflecting light away, hence the rainbowy effect, preventing the cameras from capturing them and rendering them invisible to them. It still looked stupid, but invisible, it should be easy for Skrawl and his Beanie Boys to find Draow and Bardot’s hideout.

The hideout, from what Barney said, was located in the Mumbo Jumbo Jungle. Skrawl had been right. Barney was taken there once. Barney was unable to describe the physical look of the place because he had been blind at the time. But he could give other details, such as how far into the jungle it was, the fact that it was in a clearing, and that it was in some kind of cave. It wasn’t a lot of details, and Barney had only been there once, so he wasn’t able to gather more details that could be useful. Skrawl thanked him for the information nonetheless and offered a quick apology for pushing him too hard.

King Mumbo Jumbo was glad that he was going. The tortoise wasn’t very happy with him. Skrawl would talk to the tortoise later to settle things. Right now, he had to find Draow and Bardot’s hideout. He knew there wasn’t a whole lot of time left.

“Beanie Boys! Bring me my chair!” Skrawl demanded, cupping a hand to his mouth.

Seconds later, he saw the five Beanie Boys he had chosen for this important mission come towards him. They held his chair in their hands. It had a polymorph shield on it as well. It was activated, allowing him to see the blocky projections quite easily. Skrawl shook his head. It looked even more ridiculous than he imagined.

“Beanie Boys! Beanie Boys! We’re the boys that Skrawl employs!” The Beanie Boys sang as they approached Skrawl.

“Will you please stop saying that?” Skrawl groaned, rubbing his forehead.

“Sorry sir. We couldn’t help it.” One of the Beanie Boys said.

Another nodded. “It’s hard changing the habit.”

“Nevermind that for now.” Skrawl said. The bumble boys lowered the chair and Skrawl got into it. He raised a hand, gesturing for them to lift him up. “Come on! We’ve got to get to the Mumbo Jumbo Jungle stat!”

With that, the Beanie Boys lifted the chair into the air. Holding on tightly, they started to carry Skrawl in the direction of the jungle. They moved as quickly as they could.


	48. What I'm Made Of

Bardot circled around Snap slowly, eyeing him up and down. Snap glared at him, watching him as he continued to walk around him. The hybrid zoner hadn’t tried to rush towards him yet. But this time, it wasn’t because Bardot was drawing things out. Snap could tell, from the look in his eyes, that Bardot really wanted to end this thing now. But he hadn’t tried attacking him, not yet. And from his expression and the way he was walking, it was because of hesitation.

Bardot was afraid of him. He was uncertain of what to think of him now. The fact that Snap was able to stand back up after the hell he had gone through, after being unable to move, had gotten to Bardot. He was freaked about by this miracle that he had managed to pull. And now, it looked as if Bardot was having second thoughts about attacking him.

The way he had said ‘unkillable’ before, there was a different tone about it. Before, when he said the phrase, it was more matter-of-factly, a simple statement. But now, when he had said it, he could detect fear in the zoner’s voice, like he realized he had made a mistake.

And that was evident in how he hadn’t tried attacking just yet. He just kept walking around. Snap knew it wasn’t going to last long. Sooner or later, he would attack. For now, it did feel, in a way, satisfactory that, this time, Bardot was on the defensive. That he was the one who was showing hesitation and fear going up against him, rather than the other way around. It was nice to see Bardot, for once, getting something of a taste of his own medicine.

Snap knew that, whenever the duel resumed, he was going to exert himself beyond his limits. He was going to hurt himself more. He was going to be in pain no matter how careful he was. He might get more injuries. He might become so mortally wounded that he won’t make it. The fact that death was weighing in on him did make him shudder.

But he did his best to hide that fear. He didn’t want to die. But he didn’t want his friends to die either. And he didn’t want anyone else in the real world or ChalkZone to be harmed by this crazy zoner. If losing his life meant being able to save everyone from a horrific fate, he was willing to make that sacrifice.

“E-Enjoy this while it lasts...” Bardot said, a tinge of fear in his voice. “I will still beat you! You can’t possibly stand forever!”

Snap made a motion with his hand. “Then...come on over...here... W-What are...you waiting for...? I’m not...running from..you...”

Snap knew that taunting Bardot was a risk. But he couldn’t very well run towards him. Adrenaline was still pumping through his body, but it won’t last. He would have to be smart about this. He had to make Bardot come to him.

And his taunt worked.

Bardot’s ears flattened and he snarled at Snap. “Okay then... It’s your funeral...”

Bardot dashed towards Snap. He opened his jaws, exposing his sharp, venomous fangs. His feet pounded the ground, his claws scraping a little. Snap stood his ground and made no attempt to jump away. Bardot didn’t slow down or make any attempt to jump. He was going to ram right into Snap and bite down on his shoulder. And when Bardot saw Snap wasn’t running away, a smile spread across his face, and he looked a tad more confident than he did a moment ago.

Snap had to make this count. He couldn’t slip up. It was a huge risk not to jump away. He might as well give himself a death sentence right now. But he was willing to take the risk. With Bardot still freaked out by what he had done, the hybrid zoner wouldn’t be thinking clearly, which would make it easier to attack him. All he had to do was wait for the right moment.

The hybrid zoner was upon him now. Inches away from him, he opened his mouth wider and attempted to bite down on him. Snap pulled his hand back and struck forward. Just before the jaws could bite into him, his fist slammed against Bardot’s jaws. Bardot was knocked to the side, tumbling over his feet as he tried to keep balance. With Bardot momentarily distracted, Snap got onto his back like he had in the beginning, and held on tightly.

As Bardot tried to get him off, Snap wrapped his arms around Bardot’s neck, ignoring the pain the best he could. It was difficult hanging on with his injured arm. It felt like it was on fire. His brain was screaming at him to release his arm. But he still held on tightly. Then he put his feet on the ground, using them as traction to force Bardot to stop. He pulled backwards as hard as he could. Then he fell backwards, pulling Bardot down with him using his own weight. He held Bardot in the headlock and refused to let go.

Bardot started kicking his limbs wildly as he tried to escape. Snap quickly wrapped his legs around Bardot’s body and held him there. He held on as tightly as he could, feeling the hybrid zoner’s body writhe against his. The hybrid zoner twisted from side to side, trying to make Snap lose his grip on him. He let out snarls and growls as he desperately tried to bite the blue zoner. His tail twisted rapidly on the ground as he continued to struggle.

Snap hoped that he would be able to hang on long enough to make Bardot use up most of his energy so he could be more easily apprehended. With how much he was writhing against him, it wouldn’t be long before he would get tired and become still. Snap could only hope that his adrenaline would remain active for at least most of the process. He imagined he would have maybe ten minutes at best. Though he wasn’t an expert in this sort of thing.

Snap’s hope that he would be able to keep Bardot on the ground was shattered as the zoner started to roll across the ground. He twisted and shook as he continued his efforts to make Snap let go of him. Snap, however, refused to let go.

Across the ground, the two rolled. Eventually Bardot was able to twist himself around to he was facing Snap. The two held into each other and wrestled across the ground. They held onto each other, refusing to let go. Twice, Bardot attempted to bite Snap, only to have his face punched back. The yellow zoner then opted to start slashing Snap. He struck him a few times, drawing more blood. With each slash, Snap would punch back, slamming his fist against his wounded shoulder, causing him to screech in pain.

For the next couple minutes, the two continued to wrestle with each other. They constantly rolled on the ground, trying to pin the other. Sometimes Bardot would hold him down, only for Snap to kick or punch him and then Snap would be on top. This continued as they struggled each other on the ground. The whole thing was hurting Snap, yet he continued to fight, determined to defeat Bardot once and for all.

Finally, after a while longer of wrestling, Bardot pinned Snap on the ground, using his paw to keep him there. For a few seconds, the two just stared at each other, panting heavily. Then Bardot pulled back, opening his jaws. Snap’s eyes widened. Bardot struck down...

...only to be punched again.

Bardot started at Snap in shock. He obviously didn’t expect Snap to be able to punch again after all that exertion. Bardot shook his head and then tried again. Just like before, Snap punched his head away, his fist colliding with his cheek. And he was able to do it a third time.

Bardot growled lowly, frustration starting to settle in. He glared hatefully down at Snap and he continued striking against him, this time moving faster, like he was a king cobra or something. Again and again, his jaws would come close to Snap, but the blue zoner would manage to punch his head away, no matter how fast he was going.

After the tenth time, Bardot threw his head back and let out a yell of anger. He pushed down harder on Snap and put his face close to his. He glared at the zoner with his bright green eyes.

“Why can’t I bite you?! It’s so easy! You’re too hurt to resist the venom for that long!” Bardot yelled at him. “I should be able to land a blow on you, and yet you keep managing to stop me! How is that possible?!”

Snap stared at Bardot. Then a small smile came onto his face. “E-Easy....I-I am the...unkillable...remember...?” Snap gasped, throwing one of Bardot’s nickname for him back at him. Bardot’s eyes widened in horror at this. Snap pulled his fist back and punched Bardot under his chin. As Bardot fell onto his back, Snap climbed up shakingly to his feet and glared down at him. “A-And I...will not g-give..up...”

Bardot laid on the ground and stared at him, his eyes wide in shock. He got onto his feet and raced towards Snap, gnashing his jaws.

“No! This isn’t part of the game! You are not supposed to win! I will defeat you!”

Snap noticed just how desperate Bardot sounded as he spoke. It was an emotion he never thought he would hear from this cruel and deranged zoner. He was starting to lose it. He wasn’t thinking as clearly as before. This reminded him as the breakdown Mr. Cosmo experienced. But Snap had a feeling that the worse was yet to come. He would have to be prepared.

When Bardot got close enough, Snap managed to land another punch on him, this time against his neck. Bardot staggered a little. Snap took a step forward and then kicked Bardot against his stomach, making him yelp in pain and fall into the ground. With Bardot laying on his stomach, Snap took that chance to put his hands together and slam down against his already injured back. Bardot let out a screech of pain.

Bardot turned around and jumped at him. Before he could even attempt to open his jaws to bite, Snap slammed his fist against his head. Bardot’s head was pushed towards the ground, his eyes shut and teeth gritted in pain. Then Snap brought his knee up, slamming it against Bardot’s chin and throwing him back enough to force him onto his hind legs. With that window of opportunity, Snap pulled his unburned foot and struck against Bardot’s stomach.

The wind knocked out of him and with a cry of pain, Bardot fell onto his stomach. For a few seconds, he just laid there. Then he snapped out of it and attempted to get back up. Snap wouldn’t allow it. He moved forward, doing his best to ride out the pain, and grabbed onto Bardot’s throat. He held him down and then began to punch him. Again and again, his fist slammed against the side of Bardot’s head. The bruise there got bigger and darker and eventually Bardot started to let out yelps similar to a frightened dog.

Bardot lifted his injured paw, which was the closest one, and struck Snap across the face. The zoner staggered back and put his hand to his face for a moment, feeling the blood on it. He glared down at Bardot and seized his arm. He punched against the paw with as much force as he could muster. He ended up pushing one of the toes back and there was a crack. Bardot let out a screech of pain, his tail poofed up and crest and ears raised up.

Bardot used one of his hind legs to kick Snap backwards. Bardot then climbed to his feet. It was hard for him to put his foot on the ground with the broken toe. He would put it down just for a second, but then he’d lift it up again. Even just the lightest pressure was clearly causing him pain. With an injured foot, he wouldn’t be able to run nearly as fast. He snarled in Snap’s direction and moved towards him as quickly as he could.

He attempted to bite Snap again. Snap barely moved out of the way in time before the jaws slammed shut. Then he gripped Bardot by his torn ear. Fur raising straight up and eyes shooting open in pain, Bardot screamed and began to wrench his head away. Before he could get free, Snap punched him square on the jaws. There was a popping sound and something flew in the air and landed a few feet away.

It was one of Bardot’s fangs.

Bardot stared at the broken fang in shock. He looked over at Snap, his eyes widened. Snap was just as surprised. He wasn’t expecting that punch to be that hard. He stared at Bardot, then narrowed his eyes. This worked to his advantage. With only one fang left, his venom lost half its strength. But it was still lethal; he couldn’t allow himself to be bitten.

Bardot stared at Snap in shock for a few moments. Then he rushed towards him again. This time, rather than try to bite him, he tried to strike Snap with his claws. Snap managed to grab the arm seconds before it would have sliced into him. Using whatever strength he could muster, he managed to flip Bardot over himself and then slam his back against the ground.

Snap took this opportunity and landed another kick to his stomach, sending the evil zoner rolling on the ground a little. Bardot coughed up a little bit of blood and looked over at Snap. His eyes filled with horror and realization.

Snap knew, in that moment, Bardot knew that he was losing. His venom wasn’t that strong anymore, and he couldn’t even land a bite on him right now. He tried, but Snap managed to stop him each time. Shere luck perhaps, but the fact remained that he managed to stop Bardot from biting him. He had also injured his paw, so Bardot no longer had his speed either.

He was still staggering. The pain was still getting to him. It was still hard to move. Oh how he wanted to lay down and rest. But his determination and will to save his friends helped him press on. It helped him push himself to his absolute limit. Even though he knew he could kill himself doing this, he would still continue to fight, because saving his friends’ lives, and saving everyone else from a grisley fate, was worth dying for.

The blue zoner glanced over at his friends. Rudy had lost consciousness again. It didn’t surprise him. With now badly injured he was, staying awake for long was going to be impossible. Penny was still out cold. They needed help and fast. He needed to end this fight as soon as possible. He turned his attention back to Bardot and made his way over to him.

Clearly unhappy about how the tides had turned, Bardot let out a terrified screech and he attempted to get away from Snap. He didn’t get that far. Snap grabbed him by his tail and started to pull him back.

“N-No! Let me go!” Bardot begged, ears folded back. “Release me!”

Snap ignored him and continued to yank him back. Bardot looked at him in fear before digging his claws into the ground. The loud scraping sound filled the room. It was rather unpleasant, but Snap did his best to ignore it. He continued to pull back and then, mustering up strength, he threw Bardot aside. Bardot collided with the wall, his head hitting against it hard, and then he slumped down, dazed and momentarily confused.

Feeling his adrenaline start to leave him again, Snap knew he had little time left. He moved over to where he had seen the blue chalk. Just as Bardot was shaking his head and regaining his senses, Snap managed to grab the blue chalk and held it up.

There was a weird sensation to it. Not a bad one, but something he couldn’t describe. He held magic chalk before, but it felt...ordinary to him. Rudy and Penny could use it, but not him. This..this definitely felt different. He could feel its energy rushing through him. He wondered if this was how it felt when Rudy or Penny used the magic chalk.

And using it...he wondered what it felt like. He had never experienced something like this before. There was something...awe inspiring about being given the power to create something. He had wondered what it was like, what it felt like, to draw something in midair.

He shook his head, realizing that he couldn’t stop and think about this right now. Even though he had no idea how to use this chalk, he still had to try. He couldn’t stop and think about it for long. He looked over in Bardot’s direction. He needed a way to immobilize him for the time being. He was regaining his senses as the seconds passed by, and if he didn’t do something now, Bardot might get away or he could try to attack him or his friends.

“The blue chalk...” Bardot said, who had gotten onto his feet an was staring at him. “You got the blue chalk...”

For a moment, Bardot stared at him in horror. Then anger replaced that horror and he rushed over. It was clear he was not about to let Snap use the blue chalk against him. Snap had to hurry. He started to draw something, blue lines filling the empty space. Bardot was closing the distance fast. And soon he was upon him. Snap managed to start moving out of the way, continuing his drawing.

He threw the blue chalk upwards. It went through a crook in the ceiling. Bardot saw it and started to make a run towards it. Snap managed, against all odds, to get there before he did. He grabbed the blue chalk and turned in a new direction. Bardot almost tripped and then ran towards him again.

Then Snap was done drawing. He put the blue chalk away and turned to face Bardot. He stood there, waiting for Bardot to come at him. When Bardot got close enough, Snap merely stepped aside. The hybrid zoner, unable to stop, tumbled past him. His foot hit against something and, in seconds, the trap that Snap had just drawn was sprung.

Bardot looked all around as something heavy was rolling over the crude but effective course that Snap had drawn. His eyes widened as he realized what was going to happen. Before he could move, thick rope tightened around his tail. In seconds, he was hoisted upwards towards the ceiling and held there by the large rock Snap managed to draw. Bardot struggled to free himself, dangling in midair.

Once he took a good look around, Snap was amazed he was able to draw all that, especially in his condition. The drawings were pretty crude. Nothing like Rudy’s. But seeing the amusing sight of Bardot trying to free himself was proof that the drawings were good enough and would hold Bardot until authorities would arrive to pick him up. He looked over at Draow. Although he didn’t know if Draow would wake up any time soon or not, he decided not to take chances and drew a muzzle on him and bound his legs together.

Bardot continued to try to get free. He looked down at Snap and snarled, “Let me go! You better release me!”

Snap ignored him. He didn’t have much strength left. The adrenaline was almost gone now. He found it harder and harder to cope with the pain. He had exerted himself too much. It took him a while to limp over to his friends. The world started to blur a little and he started to feel a tad dizzy. He had to draw at least one more thing before he could sit down.

Fighting against his lightheadedness, Snap managed to draw a simple sled. He dragged Rudy and Penny onto it, minding their injuries. He then drew a few simple sled dogs, and that was the last of the blue chalk. Panting heavily, Snap staggered towards the sled and stumbled onto it. He threw his head back, struggling to get a breath, fighting to stay awake. The adrenaline had completely gone away by now, and he could no longer move that well.

“G-Get us out of here...” Snap told the dogs weakly.

The dogs understood him and they started heading out of the room.

“No! Come back! You better get back here!” Bardot cried. “I’m getting angry! You won’t like me when I’m angry!”

Bardot’s voice faded off into the distance as the dogs dragged the sled down the tunnels, further and further away from those two evil zoners. Snap held on the best he could. He and his friends bounced a little as the dogs started to increase their speed. He did his best to keep himself and his friends from falling over.

Down the tunnels the dogs ran, pulling the sled behind them. They made a few sharp turns. There were a few heavy bumps on the way. He managed to hang on, and his friends didn’t fall over. All this running was making him dizzier. He fought to keep his eyes open as they continued down the tunnels. He had no idea if the dogs knew their way out. Though they still had a great sense of smell; they could smell their way out of here, surely.

And sure enough, they did. Up ahead, Snap could see daylight. Just a white opening at the end of the almost completely dark hallway. The light...it hurt, but it also felt good. The white light bathing across his body filled him with an elated sensation. He knew he had won that fight. He had managed to beat the odds and saved his friends before time ran out. The white light, which soon cleared up, showing to be the light of the sun in day zone, reminded Snap that he was still alive after all this. It told him that once he left this place, the worst part of the nightmare would be over.

sss

Bardot couldn’t believe it. He couldn’t get himself to believe it. Everything had been planned out. It was all supposed to work in his favor. He had made it so that Snap couldn’t win, no matter how hard he tried. He had rigged everything from the start. Snap should never have stood a chance against him. This...this was impossible...

He had been winning. He had all three of those dancing under his fingertips. He even had Draow well trained and obedient. The games had worked to his liking. Barney was under his control for so long, providing him with information as he went along with his plans. He had set up nanocameras to ensure no one would ruin his chances of transforming all of ChalkZone into his own personal playground. He had gotten so close...

Just where did it go wrong...? How did Snap manage to beat him like that. It should have been impossible. Granted, he didn’t want to underestimate Snap. He tried his best not to. That was why he had tried to weaken him. He knew Snap stood some chance against him. He thought that, with him so beaten up, he couldn’t possibly have a chance to win.

He had been wrong. And now it cost him his victory.

This couldn’t be happening to him. He had been in hiding for a year and a half. He had managed to evade police and custody all this time. He managed to keep himself from being captured. He had been free to do whatever he had wanted. He had tortured and killed several people and many zoners. Not one of them got close to beating him. Not a single one of his victims managed to fight back successfully..until Snap that is.

Snap...he really was the unkillable. He had truly lived up to that name. He had been through the fires of hell here. He had been on his deathbed. He had been so weak and injured. He should have died...yet he didn’t. He stood up to him. Even though just breathing and moving around caused him great agony, he still fought back. It was clear the zoner was prepared to do anything to save his friends, even die.

The realization that Snap had beaten him, had made a fool out of him, sunk into Bardot’s mind. He stared off in the direction Snap fled to. Anger started to well up inside of Bardot’s body. No...not just anger. Rage. A low growl emitted from his throat. His pupils started to shrink. He was not going to let Snap get away with this. No one...no one gets away with making a fool out of him. No one. This was supposed to be his victory. He was supposed to win...and that little blue runt had stolen that from him.

Draow had been right. He was right all along. He should have just let him kill Snap when he asked him to. He should have gotten rid of him when he had the chance. Well..now it was time to correct that...

Bardot finally managed to pull himself up, his eyes locking into the rope Snap drew to hold him. He opened his jaws and bit down. His teeth sliced through the ropes after he chewed on it for a while. He fell to the ground, hitting against his ininjured shoulder. He got up to his feet and shook his head. He looked at where Snap had run off to.

Bardot’s mind started to become clouded. Rational thought started to leave him, and more bestial thoughts became prominent. His pupils took on a pointed shape, much like a cat’s. His lips curled back like a wolf’s, showing off his sharp teeth and his remaining fang. Drool dripped on the ground. His fur poofed up in anger, looking like sharp needles jetting from his body. Ears folded back along with his crest, and a beastly growl was uttered from his throat.

The yellow and red zoner started to stalk towards the opening. He knew which way the little rodent went. He knew he wouldn’t be able to leave just yet. He walked out of the room and began to make his way in the direction where the entrance of the cave lay.

As he walked, his eyes glowed in the darkness of the tunnels. An eerie green glow. Low growls filled the tunnels, echoing off of them. With little light shining, he was only partially illuminated. Much of his body was covered in dark shadows, with little to see other than some raised fur, fangs, and glowing eyes.

Bardot looked and sounded absolutely feral. Most thought had left him. He was focused right now. The only thing that mattered, the only thing on his mind, was Snap. He was going to make him pay. He was going to make sure that Snap would never make it to the hospital in time. Snap was not going to get away with what he did. The more Snap was on his mind, the angrier he got, for the blue zoner had managed to do something he had warned others not to do.

Snap had gotten under his skin. Bardot had finally, after all this time of keeping it in, lost his temper. And now Snap was going to pay for it. Big time.

“Snap...” Bardot’s voice was barely recognizable as his voice had become very growly and feral. “You’re mine...”


	49. Your Reign Of Terror Is Over, Bardot

Terry wasn’t sure yet what she was going to do after Rudy and Penny were rescued. Thoughts ran through her mind, but a definitive answer escaped her.

On the one hand, she did feel it was important to tell the family members of those who were killed by Bardot. They needed some kind of closure after all. It would be unfair to keep this a secret from them. They had no idea their loved ones were dead. They don’t know that they’ll never come back. They don’t know they had been tortured and eaten by some psychotic being from another realm.

And what of everyone else in general? Even if Bardot was stopped, who is to say that it won’t happen again? What if another zoner got access to the real world and exploited it? ChalkZone had hidden dangers, and the more that knew about it, the better perhaps. Precautions could be taken so that no one could get hurt.

Then...there was some doubt implanted her during her trip here. She couldn’t quite name what it was. Perhaps the very act of being in here, along with other things, that helped her reconsider her decision. She had never been in ChalkZone before. She had never interacted with the citizens here. There was a world of difference between researching something and experiencing it. Being in ChalkZone felt a little different than she imagined. She had seen it through a portal, but that was it.

There had to have been a reason why Rudy and Penny tried so hard to keep this place a secret even from their own parents. Terry had never bothered asking them about it. Now she wished she had. If she had stopped to think about why they wanted to keep it a secret, then she could have done something about it...or at least understood their point of view.

Terry wondered if part of the reason was due to how alive this place really was. Being in ChalkZone further cemented into Terry’s mind about the zoners definitely being real, perhaps more than she had imagined. The world felt real. Despite being created by chalk dust, everything there seemed to have a life of its own, so to speak. From the chalk drawn plants to the chalk drawn birds flying overhead, there didn’t seem to be anything that suggested they weren’t as real as her or the other adults.

Even bizarre things like the wiggies she encountered years ago, and the flying pencils... even things that didn’t seem possible, they still had a ‘real’ feel to them. Terry imagined that if she saw more of ChalkZone and met more citizens, if she saw more sentient life here, she would further see how alive this place was. If Snap, Rapsheeba, and Blocky were any proof, the sentient zoners were just as capable of thought, reason, and emotion as any human.

Perhaps, in the end, this is why Rudy and Penny kept this place a secret. Maybe they were afraid of what might happen if just any human could get into ChalkZone. They might have been afraid of exploitation, of how the zoners might be treated, of people drawing whatever they wanted to and wreaking havoc in this world.

Terry still couldn’t decide, ultimately, which route was the best to take. She could expose this world and make it safe for anyone who wanted to enter. There could be some positive interactions between the two worlds. It might be hard to accomplish, but it was still possible. But the problem with exposing it is that it could all go horribly wrong. More people might disappear if they wander into ChalkZone and had no idea what they were doing.

So there was the option of keeping it a secret. Sometimes ignorance was bliss. Keeping it a secret would reduce the chances of anyone wandering into the place and disappearing. It could also prevent any negative interaction between the worlds. Yet...by not telling..what was she going to tell the families of the victims? She had to come up with some kind of story. She wasn’t sure if she could come up with anything believable. She wasn’t that good at coming up with stories.

So in the end, it was hard for her to say. Choosing an option wasn’t going to be easy. To make her final decision, she may have to speak with Rudy and Penny whenever they recover enough to speak. She could get confirmation from them so she could understand more of why they were determined to keep this place a secret. Then, after talking to them, she could spend some time alone to think about what course of action was most appropriate.

Her thoughts went to Bardot. She didn’t like the way he was looking at her. Something about the look in his eyes... Does he know that she used to stalk Rudy and Penny? Does he know about all the evidence she gathered from said stalking? The way he looked at her...it did suggest that. What if he decided to tell them? What would she say to the parents? They wouldn’t be happy knowing that she had been stalking their kids for a time.

She would have to think of something to tell them. She would have a hard time lying about it. She wasn’t that great at lying. They would likely see right through any fib she tried to tell them. She would have no choice but to explain to them why she did it. Perhaps if she drove home the point that she wasn’t trying to harm their kids, they might be a little less...peeved off.

But the best thing to hope for was that it would never have to be brought up. She’d have to hope that Bardot never gets the chance to tell them.

She glanced over at the parents. They were really worried. She couldn’t blame them. Their children were dying and time was running out. They felt useless. They wanted to do something to help, but there was nothing they could do. All they could do was stand there and wait for Snap to return. But none of them knew how long it was going to take. There was no telling when Snap would come out...or if he would come out at all.

Blocky and Rapsheeba also looked really worried. They, as well as the parents, kept looking back at the cave entrance. Their expressions said it all. They were hoping that, at any moment, Snap would return with Rudy and Penny.

Terry bit her lip as she looked over at the entrance herself. She did hope that Snap would make it. She hoped the teenagers would make it. Seeing how badly injured they had been...it made her blood boil. It disgusted her that Bardot would be so cruel. Granted, she hadn’t been the nicest person in the past, like how she stuffed Snap into a bag. But at least she didn’t hurt him that badly. She hadn’t been torturing him or his friends like Bardot had.

Despite how annoying these three had been to her in the past, she would never wish this kind of fate upon them. She would never have wanted them to get tortured and killed. They hadn’t done anything to deserve this. In the back of her mind, she kept hoping that, at any second, Snap would return with the two teenagers. And once he returned, they would head back to the real world as soon as possible.

Then, moments later, she heard a scraping sound. She turned her head towards the entrance of the cave. Something was pushing up against it. Her eyes widened a little. Someone was coming out.

“Hey..look!” Terry cried, pointing her finger at the entrance.

The other adults looked over to see what Terry was pointing out. They quickly saw what she was looking at. The vines covering the entrance were moving, bending. Something was coming from behind them. They watched, waiting for the few seconds it took to see what was going to emerge.

Then, seconds later, they saw a bunch of dogs rush out. Chalk dogs...they all had outlines. They were attached by some rope and they were pulling something. The screaming sound was getting louder. Soon, something that looked like a sled came skidding out, bumping against the ground. And in the sled itself, they could see Rudy, Penny, and Snap. The blue zoner was barely awake while the two teenagers were clearly unconscious.

The sled came to a halt a few feet away from the cave entrance. The dogs yapped and whimpered as they looked around at everyone. Terry had no idea how those dogs got in that place. Had they been prisoners? Did Rudy or Penny manage to draw them? She didn’t wonder about that for too long. It wasn’t important. What was important was the condition of the riders laying down in the sled.

“Rudy!” Mr. and Mrs. Tabootie shouted.

“Penny!” Mrs. Sanchez screamed.

Terry watched as the parents rushed over to the sled. They stared at their children, absolutely horrified at what had happened to them. They were a wreck. Their bodies were covered in gashes, Rudy had a broken leg and arm, Penny a broken leg, they were covered in so much blood... It was terrifying. It was amazing that they were still alive, even if just barely.

The parents tried to wake up their children. They called out their names, gently shaking them. There was no response. They kept trying again and again. They shook them a little harder. That didn’t change a thing. Terry watched sadly as they tried, for a minute or so, to wake their children up. They started to cry when there was no reply, no reaction to what they were doing.

“Snap!”

Blocky and Rapsheeba ran over to their friend. Snap looked just as bad off as Rudy and Penny. Bruised and banged up, tattered and torn, so much blood, it was amazing Snap was still alive. He looked like he had gone through a blender. He looked worse off than the teenagers with that terrifying wound on his chest. She wondered just how damaging it was to him. Judging from how it seemed like taking a single breath was painful for the zoner, she’d have to say it did a lot of damage to him.

Snap was awake, but just barely. His eyes were open and he was looking around. He had some awareness as he was smiling at the parents as they came up to their children. It was a smile of satisfcation. He had succeeded in bringing their children back alive, just like he had promised. He was happy was able to fulfill that promise.

Rapsheeba and Blocky looked down at their friend sadly, their lower lips quivering. Snap turned his attention to them, the smile never leaving his face. He attempted to sit himself up, but it was clear he was in too much pain to move. Rapsheeba and Blocky helped him up, minding the many injuries he had sustained.

Mrs. Sanchez put her arm around Penny and pulled her into a gentle hug. She pressed her face against her daughter’s and cried hard, her body shaking with emotion. “Penny...My sweet Penny.... You’ll be okay...”

“Rudy...come on sweetie...wake up...” Mrs. Tabootie said to her son, tears pooling from her face. She cradled him gently, lifting him up a little.

Mr. Tabootie reached down and touched his son’s face, his eyes glistening. “I-If you can hear me son...you’ll be fine... We’ll get you to a hospital...”

Terry walked slowly over towards the sled. She stood next to Blocky and Rapsheeba. She looked down at them. They were huddled close to their friend. She looked down at them sympathetically. Terry felt a little uncomfortable standing here. Seeing these wounds this up close and personal...it was nerve wracking. They looked a lot worse up close than further away.

She stared at Snap. As she looked at him, she let everything start to sink in. This nightmare might be over. She didn’t see any sign of Bardot. Snap must have been able to defeat him somehow. She had been right about Snap. He really wouldn’t give up. She was right to have faith in him. She had been right to believe that he could beat Bardot and Draow. Because it was clear that he had.

Slowly, she smiled down at him. She lowered herself down and gently touched Snap on the shoulder. The zoner weakly looked up at her. He looked at her with a somewhat uncertain expression. She guessed it was because he had no idea what kind of plans she had for after all this was over. She could understand why.

“Well...you did it, Snap.” Terry said. “I knew you could.”

“Heh...” Snap said, staring up at Terry. “Nice that...you know I...never give...up...” He stopped talking and winced, clutching his chest and letting out a whimper.

“Snap...” Rapsheeba said, her eyes welling up.

“They’re all in trouble.” Blocky said as he looked at Rudy and Penny. “They aren’t going to last very long.”

Rapsheeba turned to the parents. “Get in the sled! We have to get you guys back to your world so you can get your kids to the hospital!” Rapsheeba turned to Blocky and said, “After we get to the portal and drop them off, we’ll keep going and get Snap to a hospital!”

No one was going to argue with her. They knew she was right. Although the sled wasn’t very big, they didn’t have much of a choice. They all climbed in, careful not to hurt the mortally injured passengers. The dogs started to wag their tails, staring straight out ahead and awaiting a command.

Everyone settled in as comfortably as they could. The sled was a little crude and angular. It had a few somewhat sharp edges. It was difficult to sit in the somewhat crowded sled without feeling like they were being poked. But it would have to do. As long as Rudy, Penny, and Snap weren’t being squished, they should be fine. Blocky went towards the front and prepared to mush the dogs.

Terry couldn’t wait to get out of here. She hated this place. This cave of dread with those vicious monsters. And she knew that the parents felt the same way. The sooner they got out of here, the better. At least the worst of it was over. There was still the matter of Rudy, Penny, and Snap. Whether or not they’d be okay...it all depended on when they could get to the hospital and just how exensive their injuries were. But at least they were safe now, away from that place. Terry imagined that, pretty soon, someone would come and lock up those zoners. She imagined this place had some kind of justice system.

Blocky shouted, “Mush!” And, slowly, the dogs started to move.

Suddenly, before the dogs could break into a run, when the sled had barely moved a centimeter, something shot out from behind the sled. Something yellow and red... Terry and the others stared in horror when they saw Bardot leaning over the sled. He had gripped Snap by his shoulders with his claws. Before any of them could react, he yanked the injured zoner out.

“Snap!” Rapsheeba cried. She jumped out of the sled and rushed towards the entrance.

The sled was starting to pick up speed. Terry narrowed her eyes and she turned to Blocky.

“Get them to the portal!” Terry shouted. “Come back for us after!”

“But what about...” Blocky started to say.

“Just get to the portal! Rudy and Penny need to go to the hospital!” Terry glanced over at the parents. They were staring at her, wide-eyed, as she started to move towards the edge of the sled. “I’m going to go with Rapsheeba and get Snap out of there!”

With that, before anyone could say anything, Terry jumped out of the sled. She stumbled into the ground. She groaned and shook her head. She got up to her feet and she looked at the cave entrance. Her eyes widened as she saw Bardot holding Snap in a headlock. The blue zoner struggled a little, but he was too weak to fight back effectively. Terry noticed the arm that Bardot was using to hold Snap had a broken toe, but that did little to slow him down as he continued to move towards the entrance. In seconds, Bardot had run back inside the cave, carrying Snap along with him.

Terry run towards the entrance, Rapsheeba a good distance ahead of her. Their feet pounded the ground, their hearts racing, as they rushed over to where Bardot had taken Snap. As she got closer to the entrance, disgusted ran through her mind. Taking advantage of the weak and injured... Just how low was Bardot willing to sink? Snap needed help. She didn’t know how much more of a beating the little guy could take. She and Rapsheeba had to get him out of there and fast.

But as they got close, things just took a turn for the worse. There was a low rumbling sound and then rocks fell at the front of the entrance. The eyes of the cave seemed to glow and Terry wondered if some kind of trap was set or something. Bardot must have activated something. Now, standing in their way, were a bunch of thickly packed rocks. The entrance was completely blocked.

“No! Snap!” Rapsheeba cried. She tried to dig through the rocks. She managed to get a few small ones out. But she was unable to dig out too much, and none of the larger rocks would budge. Tears flew from her face as she pounded against the rocks. “No! This can’t be happening! Snap!” She fell to her knees.

Terry came up to her. She looked down sadly at the zoner. She bent forward and put a hand on her shoulder. Rapsheeba looked up at her.

“We’ll find another way in. I’m sure Bardot made more than one entrance to this place.” Terry offered her hand. Rapsheeba hesitated, then took it. Terry helped the zoner up to her feet. “Come on, let’s look around the back. We might find something that can help us.”

Rapsheeba nodded her head rigidly. Seeing no choice, she followed Terry as they walked around behind the cave, looking for any sign of an entrance. Terry knew there had to be one in here somewhere. Unless Bardot was suicidal, he would have put another entrance in here. The question was....where was it? And would they find it in time?

sss

Moments ago, Snap had barely been awake. He could still see his surroundings, but his mind was pretty numb. He was so tired, so sleepy. It took what little strength he had to stay awake. The world around him had gotten darker, his eyes losing focus. Although he wanted to rest, he wanted to stay awake first and make sure Rudy and Penny made it through the portal with their parents. Then, after that, he would rest a little.

But when Bardot suddenly grabbed him from behind...he had been jolted awake. Suddenly he was fully awake, fully aware. His eyes stared at Bardot with fear as the zoner dragged him back into the cave, blocking off the main entrance so no one could come in and save him. There was no one else in this cave now. It was just him and Bardot. Well there was Draow, but he wasn’t going to help him.

Snap saw the look in Bardot’s eyes. His pupils had become pointy, like a claw almost. He was constantly snarling and growling. Drool flew from his mouth as he ran. His fur was raised up, looking wickedly sharp. He looked feral, like he was just some wild animal. Just looking into his eyes filled Snap with dread. Snap gave a few whimpers and tried to struggle against his grasp. But he had lost too much strength. He couldn’t dislodge himself.

Bardot continued to run down the tunnels, just simply going straight, making no turns. It was like his mind was so focused on him, that he didn’t really care which direction he went. During the running, Snap hit the ground a few times, scraping his legs or feet against it. He let out a few weak cries of pain. Bardot made no response to these cries, not even a chuckle of satisfaction. He was really lost in his own anger, rage overwhelming him.

Then, up ahead, Snap could see what appeared to be a large, round room. It looked somewhat incomplete. The center of the floor had some wooded planks. Snap wondered, briefly, just what Bardot had planned to do with this room had his scheme succeeded.

When Bardot got to the entrance of the room, he stopped. He looked down at Snap and let out a snarl. He gripped him with his paw. He was so filled with rage that he did not acknowledge his own pain as he held Snap with the hand with a broken digit. He grew Snap into the room with as much force as he could muster.

Snap cried out in pain as he rolled across the ground, landing on his side on the wood planks. He moaned and tried to get back up. But with his adrenaline gone, he could barely lifted up his head as Bardot came barreling down towards him. Snap knew, even before Bardot got close enough to attack, that he wasn’t going to show any mercy on him. Bardot didn’t care if he was already hurt. He didn’t care that he was too weak to fight back. All Bardot cared about was hurting him more. He had truly snapped and now Snap was going to, unfortunately, bear witness to his temper.

The claws came down swift and without much warning. They dug into his side and tossed him across the ground. Snap shrieked loudly as his side was torn further open. Then another blow, claws cutting across his chest, further slicing open the wound there. Another scream of pain. Blood quickly covered the wooden planks. Then Bardot struck down on his shoulder, ripping it open and pushing Snap into the grond on his stomach.

Again and again, Bardot struck with his claws. He slashed into his back and shoulders. He cut into the back of his head and on his scalp. The claws ripped apart his cloth and flesh. Blood pooled out of the various new wounds. Then he struck him in the side again, forcing him to roll onto his back.

Bardot was absolutely relentless. Snap kept screaming, crying in pain, as Bardot continued to slash him. He struck him across the face, almost tearing his eyes out in the process. He slashed his limbs, hacking away at them. He kept striking his chest and stomach. Snap started to cough up blood. Bardot didn’t stop. His tiny pupils stared down at him, boring through his soul. He didn’t speak; he just growled at him like some wild beast.

The fighting on the planks caused them to start to break. Snap’s eyes widened in fear as he felt the ground below them give way. Down he and Bardot fell. They were falling into one of the lower levels, a room that looked kinda like the room Rudy and Penny had been held in. Snap closed his eyes and waited for the impact.

He felt Bardot grab onto him. He pushed Snap underneath him and tightened his grip. Snap realized what Bardot was about to do. And he quickly got that confirmation. When they collided, he felt Bardot’s weight crash in on him, increasing the blow. His side was crushed up against the hard ground. Then he felt a sharp pain and he let out a loud scream. His arm...the one with the pulled muscle..it had been bent under the weight at an odd angle. A crack sounded out. His arm had been shattered.

In the midst of his pain, Snap saw something purple laying not far from him. Purple chalk? He knew what blue chalk could do. But what of purple chalk? It had to have some kind of important function. Why else would Bardot have it here?

He didn’t have time to think about it. His mind was overwhelmed by pain again as Bardot struck him againd and again with his claws. More wounds gushing with blood. Soon Snap looked like he had went through a shredder. His clothes are almost completely ripped to shreds. His body was covered with so many slashes, he was losing so much more blood.... There was hardly a piece of blue left on him now. Most of his body was covered by his own blood.

“Do you think it’ll be all over so easily?!”

Snap’s eyes widened at that dark, scratchy voice. He realized it was Bardot. He regained some of his thought to speak to him. And he wished that he hadn’t. That voice....so terrifying. It was like a hungry wolf trying to mimic speech. It was so...alien....

“I will not allow you to take another victory away from me!”

With that, Bardot lifted up his uninjured paw, carefully holding his weight with his injured one. In a second, he plunged the claws deep into Snap’s stomach, slicing in deeply. Snap let out a bloodcurdling scream, more blood pouring from his mouth. Snap had a disturbing, morbid thought. Just how much more blood did he have left to shed..?

Snap felt three thick clawed digits wrap around his neck. They squeezed tightly, choking him. He weakly struggled, kicking his legs slightly. But he was too weak to fight back. He stared up at Bardot in fear, silently pleading him to let him go. But Bardot just tightened his grip.

Bardot bared his sharp teeth at him. “I will just go back into hiding! Then I will come back!” He shouted, his voice laced in hatred. He stared down intently at Snap. “But you won’t...!”

“Snap!”

Snap and Bardot looked over at one of the tunnels. They stared at it for a few seconds. Then came another cry.

“Snap! Hold on!”

Snap widened his eyes a little. He couldn’t believe it. It was...it was Terry and Rapsheeba. How..how did they find them so fast? How did they get in when the entrance was blocked? He watched as they came into view, running towards them, horrified expressions plastered on their faces.

When they got close enough, Snap started to speak weakly, hoping Terry could hear him. “B-Bouffant...the purple chalk...” He gagged, the pressure from Bardot’s hand making it hard to speak. “I-It’s over there...u-u-use it...”

Terry wasted no time. She rushed over to where the purple chalk was.

Bardot’s eyes fixated on Terry for a moment. He watched as she went over to grab the purple chalk. His eyes widened in fear for a moment. Snap took note of this. Was purple chalk something that could stop him? It must be. He looked more visibly afraid of Terry going after the purple chalk than he did when he had found the blue chalk.

Then Bardot glared down at him. His eyes narrowing dangerously, growls emitting from his throat, the very sight of him struck fear and dread in Snap’s heart. It was clear Bardot was not happy with him giving the location of the purple chalk. His jaws opened and closed a few ties, an obvious threat. Bardot threw Snap and watched as he landed on his stomach. Terry, by then, had grabbed the purple chalk and was drawing something with it.

Snap pushed himself up with his unbroken arm and stared at Rapsheeba, who he had landed in front of. Rapsheeba helped him up to his feet. She stared at him with wide, worried eyes. Snap wanted to smile and comfort her. But what could he say to this?

“S-Snap...” Rapsheeba whispered, tearing up. “P-Please be okay...”

“I’m...still...standing, aren’t I...?” Snap whispered back. “B-Barely...but I’m still..standing... I’m still alive....” Rapsheeba smiled a little at this, but she still looked concerned.

Suddenly, Snap was reminded that the threat of Bardot had not yet passed. He felt something clamp down on his shoulder. His eyes snapped wide open and he screamed. Rapsheeba put her hands to her mouth, her eyes big with horror reflecting out of them. She took a few steps back, shaking her head in denial. Snap turned his head to see what had happened.

Bardot had rushed over to him and grabbed one of his shoulders with his claws, holding him still. And then, to Snap’s absolute horror, his jaws had bitten down onto his other shoulder, driving the remaining fang into him. Snap could feel the burning venom being injected into his injured body. Bardot did not release him until he pumped in as much venom as he could. After Bardot finally let go, he took a step back and stared at Snap with an evil smile.

Snap fell onto his knees. He felt the venom start to take effect. A tingly sensation spread through his shoulder. He felt his bones start to ache, like they were being filled with something forcefully. He looked over at Rapsheeba, staring into her frightened eyes. His body trembled from the pain, and the ache in his bones increased, becoming sharper and more pronounced.

Snap looked behind him, seeing Bardot there. He stared at him with a satisfied grin. Bardot let out a cruel laughter that echoed off the walls. This was cut off when Terry lassoed him with a shining purple rope, the rope tightening around his neck. Snap watched as Bardot froze where he stood, waves of purple pumping over his body. His fur raised on end, his eyes widened. He let out a loud yelp. Then he slumped to the ground, his eyes closing.

He was shocked by this and so was Terry and Rapsheeba. None of them could figure out what had happened. But at least, for now, Bardot had been subdued.

The venom’s effects were becoming stronger. The effects of blood loss and the injuries intermixed with that as well. Snap’s world started to spin. It became darker and darker. His vision blurred. All strength started to swiftly leave him. He looked over at Rapsheeba, a tear flowing down his cheek.

“...s...s...sorr...sorry...” Snap whispered.

Then he slumped to the ground. He could barely register Rapsheeba’s panicked cries. He could barely see Terry coming over to him. He barely felt Terry pick him up into her arms. All he could hear was a garbled mess, and all he could see was a mixture of shadows.

Then soon, he saw nothing. He fell limp in Terry’s arms, and he closed his eyes.


	50. Conviction

“Code red! Emergency!” One of the doctors shouted.

“We need to get him into the emergency room stat!” Another shouted.

A loud beeping sound, then a panicked doctor cried, “We’re losing him!”

Rapsheeba’s eyes widened in horror at that. Her mind flashed back to what happened a year and a half ago. She could see images of herself and Penny sitting in the waiting room, waiting for news on Snap. She could hear the drilling sounds in her head again. She could hear the flatline beep of the heart monitor. It all came flooding back to her.

And now she was in a similar situation. Only this time, she was with Terry, and Snap’s condition was much worse. She watched as the doctors rushed him down the hallway. He had flatlined while he was being wheeled in, causing the doctors to panic and rush him over faster before it was too late.

While Snap didn’t have some horrific device in him anymore, he was still not so much better off than a year and a half ago. His body had been ripped up, torn to shreds. Almost every inch of him was covered in his own blood. He lost so much of it that the doctors were whispering to each other if he would even make it. That brought a lump to Rapsheeba’s throat. She didn’t want it to be too late. She hoped there was still a chance to save him, somehow.

But the venom was going to complicate things. Snap had told her about Bardot’s venomous bite and what it does to zoners. Her lower lip quivered as she realized that is what Snap was going through now. And that was the last thing the poor guy needed. He had fought so hard to save his friends. He deserved a happy ending. He deserved to survive this.

Rapsheeba held onto the hope that he was going to make it. Right now, it was all she could do. She couldn’t do anything to help. She couldn’t even go in there and comfort Snap. He wasn’t even awake. He wasn’t even responsive. He couldn’t even breathe very well. She saw the wound on his chest. One of his lungs must have been damaged by Bardot. All she could do was hope and pray that he would be fine. There was still a marginal chance he’d make it. And so long as there was that, she’ll hold onto her hope.

After about half an hour of waiting, she saw a doctor walking towards her and Terry. She recognized who it was. Dr. Urso, the same doctor who had helped save Snap’s life before. She noticed his forelorn expression and knew it couldn’t mean anything good. He had his head low and his hands clasped together.

When he stopped in front of the two, he looked like he didn’t know what to say. Rapsheeba felt her heart race quicken. That was not a good sign. It meant something was very wrong with Snap. Even before the doctor said anything, she felt tears well up in her eyes. She hoped that, whatever the doctor was going to say, it would be temporary. Yeah...it had to be temporary... Snap was going to be okay.. He has to be...

“How is he, doctor?” Terry asked, breaking the silence.

“...not well.” Dr. Urso said with hesitation. “He’s lost most of his blood. I’d say he lost 4/5 of his blood from whatever had happened to him.”

“He was ripped apart by Bardot.” Terry explained. “I saw him slash him up with those claws.”

“Ah yes that would do it...” Dr. Urso nodded sadly. He got out his clipboard and glanced at it. He shook his head sadly, his ears lowering. “We got him on some blood transfusions, but I can’t say if that will help him or not. We also have IVs attached to him to get some fluid and nutrients into him. But we have more to worry about than just the blood loss. His injured lung is a great concern. It’s been pretty badly torn. They’re working on fixing that, but I can’t confirm if the procedure will work or not. He might need a lung transplant.”

Rapsheeba felt tears escape her eyes as he said that. Losing almost all of his blood... It was a miracle he was able to still stay awake for a short time when she and Terry found him. And the lung transplant..not exactly the best thing to hear after all that has happened. He wouldn’t be able to handle the surgery with his condition.

She looked up at Terry. She hardly knew much about this woman, but considering her interactions with Snap before, she guessed that they knew each other to some extent. The only thing she knew was that Terry had tried exposing ChalkZone in the past.

Despite being a potential enemy if that were the case, Rapsheeba was happy that she came with her to the hospital. She was glad to be with someone. It’s always easier handling tragedies with another person. And it was definitely nice that Terry seemed to care about Snap’s well being. She looked just as worried about him as her, despite not being friends per say.

Dr. Urso continued to talk. “His arm is broken in four different places. We’re working on getting it splinted and casted as soon as possible. That arm will take a long time to heal. I’d stay about four or five months at the very least. Then there is the concern about his head injuries...”

“Head injuries?” Rapsheeba asked, her eyes widened. “I-I didn’t know that..he...”

Dr. Urso nodded his head solemnly. “We did an X-Ray on him and found that he head suffered some head trauma. His head had been struck several times with what I guess was a blunt object. Something hard. Most of it was on the side of his skull. The force was enough to crack the bone. There is some brain swelling and we are fearing permanent damage.” He looked at Terry and Rapsheeba sadly as they gave a gasp of horror. “We have no idea how well this will heal, and it will definitely slow down the healing as it may keep him in a coma for a while. As for what might become of him, I’m afraid we will have to wait until he wakes up to find out. There’s so much swelling we can’t pinpoint what areas of his brain are mostly affected.”

Rapsheeba tried to hold back her tears, but they just kept coming. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Brain damage? Snap might have...brain damage? No...he didn’t deserve this. No...it couldn’t be...no...

She felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up and saw Terry glancing down at her sympathetically. The gesture didn’t do much to cheer Rapsheeba up, but it was something.

Rapsheeba knew she would have to tell Blocky when he came. He hadn’t arrived at the hospital yet. He did need his wounds treated as, out of her and him, he was the worst off. At the moment, he was aiding Skrawl, taking him to where the hideout was to apprehend Draow and Bardot. He would get to the hospital as soon as he could.

She...she was going to feel so bad when she told him just how bad off Snap really was. Blocky must be so hopeful right now Snap would make it. She would feel awful to have to tell him his chances of recovery appear to be slim. And that wasn’t even getting into the venom yet, which she knew was what the doctor was going to address next.

“The venom...it’s already done a lot of damage to the bones in the area of the bite.” Dr. Urso said, furrowing his eyes in concern. “And it’s spreading through his body rapidly. But if he was bitten by just one fang, that is some good news. It means this Bardot guy did not pump in nearly as much venom as he could, so the process is slower. It’s no less painful, but it means we have a window of opportunity to save Snap from the venom. There’s already two methods we are going to try as soon as possible.”

“W-What did you have in mind?” Rapsheeba asked in a whisper.

“The first method is antivenom. At the other hospital where Barney is currently staying, King Mumbo Jumbo had fought against Bardot. He reported that Bardot had gnawed on his shell in an attempt to inject him with venom. Because of this, some small samples of venom remained on the king’s shell and we were able to collect it. It’s not a lot, but we have something that might work as an antivenom.” Dr. Urso explained as he flipped through the paperwork. “The other method, in case that doesn’t work, is the purple chalk. It seems to have a neutralizing effect on red chalk, and that venom is made up of red chalk. If the antivenom doesn’t kick in, we will use the purple chalk Bouffant here has. We’ll inject that and hope for the best.”

That was some good news. Not a lot, but it still helped Rapsheeba feel a little better. Knowing that there was a way to stop the venom filled her with relief. Before, they had all thought that once bitten by Bardot and injected with his venom, there was no hope. Now that there might be not one, but two ways to stop the venom, that did help raise her spirits a little.

But she knew it was still up in the air whether or not he’ll make it. So much could still go wrong. There were so many problems Snap was suffering through. She still couldn’t shake the worry welling up in the back of her mind that something could go horribly wrong. Snap’s condition was far more critical now than it was a year and a half ago...

Dr. Urso closed his clipboard and stared at Terry and Rapsheeba. His ears remained lowered. He let out a soft sigh. “I wish I could have given you better news.. We will do what we can for Snap and I will continue to give you updates. Rest assured we will do whatever we can to save him.”

With that, the doctor walked back down the hallway. Rapsheeba stared after him. Her lower lip quivered. Her tears flooded down her face. As much as she wanted to stay hopeful for Snap’s recovery, there was still the chance that he....that he won’t make it...

As she started to cry, she felt a presence come around her. She looked up and saw that Terry had lowered herself to her level and pulled her into a hug. Rapsheeba, slowly, returned the hug, her body shaking with emotion.

“Rapsheeba?”

Terry and Rapsheeba pulled away and saw Blocky coming down to greet them. His wounds were already patched up. He stopped in front of them, a worried look on his face.

“How is Snap doing?” Blocky asked in a worried voice.

Rapsheeba shook her head once. “He’s..not doing very well, Blocky.”

Blocky’s face paled. “W-What..?”

Rapsheeba wiped away her tears. She turned away from Terry and stared at Blocky. It wasn’t going to be easy for her to tell him this. But she knew she had to. Blocky was one of Snap’s closest friends. He deserved to know, no matter how bad the news was.

“You see....” Rapsheeba started to explain to Blocky everything the doctor had told them.

sss

Rudy let out a groan. He had never been in so much pain before. Almost everything hurt. The pain just kept shooting through his body. Even the morphine didn’t do much to stop the agony he was feeling. It helped at least. He didn’t want to know what the pain would be like without it.

When he had worken up, he was so confused at first. He didn’t know where he was. He didn’t recognize his surroundings. He didn’t remember how he got here, or what had happened before. He was in pain almost right away and that frightened him. He didn’t know what had happened to him that got him in that position in the first place. He was scared that he was so badly hurt yet didn’t remember what happened.

He soon realized he was not the only one in the room. He felt his heart beat faster when he saw Penny on the other hospital bed, a few feet away from him. She was unconscious and had so many IVs and wires hooked up to her. Rudy realized he was the same way. And seeing Penny so badly hurt, eyeing her injuries, Rudy realized he had wounds of his own, explaining why he was in so much pain.

When he realized his leg was in a cast as well as his arm and hand, he suddenly remembered. It all came back to him, flash after flash like a lightning bolt. The so-called ‘games’..being kidnapped by Draow, the torturing he and Penny had to suffer, Snap getting hurt... And as the memories came back, so did the horror. Rudy didn’t know if Snap was okay or not. Where was he? What happened to him? He moved in his hospital bed a little, but immediately stopped from the pain he was feeling. As much as he wanted to jump out of this bed and find Snap, he came to realize that wasn’t going to happen.

Rudy didn’t know how long he had been a wake. Fifteen minutes perhaps, or twenty. Maybe even hours. He couldn’t tell. There was no clock in this hospital room, so he had no idea how to tell how much time had passed. The tv mounted on the wall was turned off, so there was nothing to distract him from the pain, both physical and mental, that he had endured. All he could do was lay there, thinking about what had happened to him and Penny and Snap.

They had all gone through so much pain and agony. And for what? All because of this stupid ‘game’ Bardot had insisted on playing with them. Anger rose inside of Rudy as he thought about that forsaken zoner. He hoped he would never have to see his mug ever again.

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard the door open. He looked over and his eyes widened a little as he saw his parents walk in. They shut the door carefully and slowly made their way over to them.

He had never seen them look so sad before. They looked like they had been crying for hours, and he wouldn’t doubt that for a second. Even now, they were both still crying, their lower lips quivering. They stood next to him, one on the right and one on the left. They looked down at him with sorrow and sympathy etched on clearly on their faces. Neither of them spoke for the next minute or so.

“R-Rudy...” Mr. Tabootie said, his voice choked up. “H-How are you, sport...?”

Rudy let out a soft groan. “I...I could be better...” Rudy was surprised at how weak and scratchy his voice sounded. “How long was I out..?”

“A couple hours.” Mrs. Tabootie replied.

“A couple hours...” Rudy breathed. That wasn’t as bad as he thought it was. But then, a couple hours could mean anything. Two hours isn’t much, but five or six? That’s a lot longer and more worrying than two hours. He turned his head and glanced over at Penny. She still hadn’t woken up. “What about P-Penny...? Is she...?”

Mrs. Tabootie said, “The doctors believe she will wake up soon.” She paused for a moment, and then added, “The doctors are hopeful you and her will survive. But...but only time will tell.. There’s still a chance you...” She couldn’t finish and she started to cry harder.

Rudy felt a pang in his heart as he watched his mother cry over him. The idea that he and Penny might still lose their lives, even after all this...it was heartbreaking to think about. Rudy didn’t want to die... He didn’t want to leave his friends and family behind. He wanted to be okay. He didn’t want his loved ones to suffer. He didn’t want them to be tormented by his death. He didn’t want Penny’s loved ones to go through the same thing either.

But at least, for now, they were alive. That was a good sign. And as long as he still had a heartbeat, he was going to remain hopeful that, eventually, everything would return to normal. It might take a long time, but he wanted to keep believing that, in a few months, this would all be just a distant, horrible memory.

“Everything will be okay, son... Everything will be fine...” Mr. Tabootie whispered to his son. He wiped away a tear. “You’ll see...”

Rudy smiled weakly at his parents. He wanted to believe that. He held onto that belief. Yeah, as his father said, everything would be fine. It was going to be one heck of a rocky road to recovery, but it was all going to be just fine. And before he knew it, he, Penny, and Snap would be having fun in ChalkZone like they always had.

“And don’t worry about Bardot, dear.” Mrs. Tabootie said, her eyes narrowing slightly. “He has been apprehended, along with Draow. Their trial will take place soon.”

That was comforting to know. Rudy felt happy that those two would get what they deserve. They would finally pay for all their wrong doings. They..

...wait a minute...

How...how did his parents know about Bardot and Draow...? How did they know their names? How did they know they were the ones responsible for all this...?

Rudy’s blood ran cold. No, it couldn’t be...they couldn’t have...no...

Slowly, Rudy looked up at his parents, his expression changing slowly to that of shock. They stared down at him, and the looks they were giving him...he didn’t like them. They were looking at him like they knew something...something that they should never have found out...

Mr. Tabootie nodded his head slowly. “Yes, Rudy.” His voice was in a soft whisper. He leaned forward a little bit. “We know about ChalkZone.”

Rudy felt his heart start to race. He heard the heart monitor he was attached to beep faster and faster. He couldn’t believe it. He and Penny tried so hard to keep ChalkZone a secret. They tried to make sure their parens never found out, for they knew that horrible consequences would arise if just any human could walk around in ChalkZone. And now his parents...they know about it...

He didn’t know how they could have found out. But that didn’t matter now. They knew about ChalkZone. They knew...and now he and Penny would have to face the music. They would need to tell their parents everything. This was..awful...horrible... He and Penny had no idea how their parents would react to ChalkZone, and now that they found out under the worst circumstances... Dread and horror filled Rudy’s mind as terrible scenarios played through his mind.

Rudy hoped this was just a bad dream. He hoped that, any minute now, he would wake up and everything would be fine. He hoped that this was nothing more than a nightmare he was experiencing where his parents find out about ChalkZone. He kept hoping and praying that he would wake up any second now and he would find that his parents didn’t know about ChalkZone.

But the more he laid there, the more he stared at his parents, the more he realized this wasn’t a dream. It was reality. He was awake. His parents knew about ChalkZone. And as he came to realize this and accept it as reality, the more fearful and terrified he became. Out of all he and Penny and Snap been through, the thought of being...permanently banned...or humans flooding ChalkZone...it would be horrible.

“P-Please...don’t...” Rudy started to say. His mind was so scrambled up from fear that he wasn’t able to speak in a coherent sentence. He looked at his two parents, his eyes wide with worry. “I-I...we..we can’t..”

His parents looked down at him sympathetically. His mother reached down and placed her hand on his cheek, avoiding his injuries. She then gripped his uninjured hand and squeezed it gently.

His father spoke. “Calm down, Rudy. You can’t afford getting too excited in your condition. Relax, take in deep breaths and breathe out.”

Rudy did so. He breathed in and out slowly. He kept doing this and, slowly, he felt his heartbeat return to normal. He became a little more relaxed. But the horror of his parents finding out about ChalkZone was fresh on his mind. What did they have in mind? What were they going to do?

He had to know. He needed to know what they planned to do after this. As much as it frightened him, as much as it terrified him, he needed to know. Not knowing was going to kill him, drive him insane.

“W-What are you...” Rudy said, a little more understandable than before. “What are you..going to do..?”

Mr. and Mrs. Tabootie looked at each other for a moment. They looked down at Rudy. Their expressions...they looked uncertain and confused. There was also a hint of something else. Anger? That didn’t surprise Rudy. He lied to them so much over the years...

“We...are still up in the air about that, son..” Mr. Tabootie said.

Mrs. Tabootie spoke next. “We decided it was best to...” She paused for a moment, rubbing her hands nervously together. “..that we wait until Draow and Bardot are taken care of..and you, Penny, and Snap get better from your injuries. We’re willing to hold this off until you three are able to come home before we discuss any course of action.”

Mr. Tabootie nodded his head. “We just hope that, whatever decision we make...you and Penny will understand...that it’s for the best.”

Rudy felt like his world stopped. He couldn’t believe it. After all that...after all they had went through...it might still be over. He started to cry, shedding tears down his face. His parents tried to comfort him, but he barely paid attention to them. He wished this was just a dream, but sadly, it wasn’t.

Now all he could do was wait. He could only wait and hope that, somehow, everything will be okay. He could only hope, by some miracle, his parents agreed to keep ChalkZone a secret. He hoped that they would come to understand why they kept the place a secret for so many years. He could only hope for the best...

...but in the end, only time will tell how things will go from here.

sss

Rapsheeba’s mind went numb. Her world froze. She stood there, her body shaking. She couldn’t think. She couldn’t move. Tears flowed down her face. Her nose was getting stuffed up. But she made no attempt to wipe it.

No...it couldn’t be...no...

She replayed the doctor’s words in her head over and over again. She had only been standing here for a few seconds. But time had slowed down. Dr. Urso stared at her with a saddened expression, showing that he was not making some kind of cruel joke. It was real...and it shattered Rapsheeba’s heart into pieces. She wished she had misheard. She wished it was a mistake...it had to be a mistake...

But no..it was no mistake. Dr. Urso would never lie to her or trick her about this. He would not mislead. He would not make up something like this. Rapsheeba’s body trembled with emotion as she came to realize the truth.

“I-It can’t be..you...it can’t be...” Blocky said, his voice cracked as he tried to fight back his cries.

“Are you sure...?” Terry asked. She wasn’t as broken up as Rapsheeba and Blocky since she wasn’t a close friend of Snap’s. But her voice still held concern for the little zoner. She was not happy with the news either. “Can’t you try again?”

Dr. Urso shook his head. “I’m sorry... Snap..he’s...” Dr. Urso’s voice cracked with sadness. “He’s gone..I’m sorry...we tried to save him, but his injuries were too much. I’m so sorry...”

Snap was dead... That phrase repeated itself in Rapsheeba’s mind over and over agai. It couldn’t be true. After all that, Snap couldn’t be dead. He couldn’t die..he just couldn’t.. She dropped onto her knees and started to sob. This...this was the worst possible news she could have recieved.

Blocky started to cry. He went over to Rapsheeba and hugged her for comfort. She hugged him back. The two zoners mourned the loss of their friend. Coming to terms with Snap’s death...it wasn’t going to be easy.

“Try again.” Terry’s firm voice came, drawing attention from the crying zoners and the zoner doctor.

“We tried to jumpstart his heart, but all attempts failed...” Dr. Urso said. “I know this is hard for you to accept, but please...”

“Try again!” Terry was more forceful.

“But...” Dr. Urso tried to say.

Suddenly, Terry gripped the bear doctor by his shirt and yanked him forward. She put her face close to his. “Now you listen here! That zoner has been through hell trying to save his friends!” She pointed a finger towards Blocky and Rapsheeba. “He doesn’t deserve to die like this! Not after what he went through to save his friends! So get back there and try again to revive him!”

Dr. Urso stared at Terry, looking shocked by her outburst. Rapsheeba and Blocky were shocked as well. After a few moments of silence, Dr. Urso spoke up again.

“I’m sorry. But I can’t...” Dr. Urso said regretfully. “Every attempt ended up in failure...”

Terry narrowed her eyes. “Then I will try..”

“What?! But you don’t know how to...” Dr. Urso said. He couldn’t continue when Terry flung him to the side and stormed down the hallway, her hands clenched into fists. “Wait! Come back!” Rapsheeba and Blocky, though stunned by what had had happened, ran down to catch up to Terry. “You three aren’t allowed back there!”

The three raced down the hallway, keeping their distance from Dr. Urso. Some of the other doctors tried to stop them, but they evaded them. They continued racing down the hall until they found the emergency room. They pushed the doors open and walked inside.

It was a huge risk coming in here. Infection and germs were a real threat. They might be making things worse. Rapsheeba had wanted to try to stop Terry. As much as she felt her actions were noble, she also felt they were rash and should have been thought through more. But with how fast the woman had been going, with how determined she was, she knew there was no stopping her.

Rapsheeba’s heart clenched when she saw Snap laying on the operating table. He was completely still and lifeless. No movement to be detected. His chest was no longer rising and falling like it should have. The heart monitor he was attached do was at a flatline, the continuous beep filling the room with the reality of death.

Rapsheeba’s lower lip quivered and Blocky couldn’t hold back his cries. It was one thing being told their friend was dead, that he had passed away despite their best efforts to keep him alive. It was another to see that death for real, to see his pale, still corpse on the table. If it weren’t for the various injuries adorning his body, they would think that he was just asleep.

The two of them didn’t have long to think about that when Terry rushed in, pushing aside the doctors. She stared down at Snap’s lifeless body, her expression relaxing, showing concern for him, then they narrowed in determination again as she grabbed the defibrillation device from the table. Then she pressed them against Snap and activated them, causing his body to convulse due to the reaction of the electricity being pumped into his body.

Again and again, Terry would shock Snap with the device and watch his heart monitor. Rapsheeba had no idea if Terry had any knowledge or inkling of what she was doing. But she and Blocky couldn’t stop her. In fact, they didn’t want to stop her. Maybe...just maybe..she might be able to do it. By some miracle, maybe she could succeed...

The doctors tried to stop her. They attempted to yank her away from the defibrillation device and away from Snap’s body. But even when Dr. Urso came in with a large zoner doctor, Terry was still relentless. Even as she was being pulled away, she fought back. She pushed back against the doctors and continued trying to revive Snap. Again and again, she shocked him, and again and again he convulsed on the bed as his nerves were being triggered.

Finally, much to Rapsheeba’s dismay, Terry was successfully pried away from Snap. The large zoner, a bird with arms, grabbed her and pulled her back. Dr. Urso looked at her with a displeased look. He glared at Terry, Rapsheeba, and Blocky and pointed towards the door as a couple of doctors grabbed the two mourning zoners.

“Get out of here. I’m sorry we couldn’t save your friend, but do you realize the damage you could have caused?” Dr. Urso said in an angry voice. “You could have...”

Suddenly, there was a beep. A quick, soft one, but a beep nonetheless. Everyone in the room froze.

Then there was another beep, and another. Steady beeping, slowly increasing.

“We’ve..we’ve got a pulse!” One of the doctors cried as they stared at the heart monitor.

“What?” Dr. Urso asked, stunned, his previous anger forgotten. He went over to the heart monitor. “That’s...impossible...”

But it was true. The heart monitor had come back to life. The beeps were slow, but they were still there. The heart rate increased slowly. The number was no longer at 0 as it was when they first came in. Slowly, the heartbeat rate increased a little.

“He’s coming back!” Another doctor shouted, a delightful tone to their voice. “That...that crazy human did it!”

As if to confirm that, Snap’s chest started to rise and fall again. Slowly, barely noticeable, but the fact was he was now breathing again. Some of the color came back and, if everything they saw wasn’t enough to convince them, Snap’s head moved a little. A tiny smidgen, but it still moved nonetheless.

Rapsheeba stood there, shocked. So did Blocky. More tears formed in their eyes. But this time, not of sadness, but of relief. They turned to each other and gave each other a hug. Elation swept through Rapsheeba’s body. A miracle had just taken place. Snap was..he was alive now... He was coming back...

She hoped that things would continue to spiral upward from here.

sss

Penny looked around the hospital room. If it weren’t for the calender that was placed between her and Rudy’s beds, she would have no idea how long she had been here.

Three weeks...

It had been three weeks since they were rescued. They had been in the hospital for three weeks. But the long days at the hospital made time appear to move more slowly. It felt like they had been in there for years. It felt so much longer... How much longer would they be here? How much longer would they have to endure being trapped here, in this white room? She wanted to go home...

She also wanted to go back to ChalkZone. She wanted to see how Snap and the others were doing. Not knowing was upsetting her. She had to know how they were recovering. Snap must have been so badly hurt... and she turned out to be right.

Mr. Wilter had stopped by to visit her and Rudy. He informed the teenagers about Snap, Rapsheeba, and Blocky’s conditions. He was happy to report that Rapsheeba and Blocky would be fine. But Snap was a different story. Penny could still feel the painful pang that she and Rudy felt in their stomachs as Mr. Wilter went on to explain just how badly hurt Snap really was, and how he had actually died in the hospital. It was a shock but also a relief that Terry had, somehow, been able to revive him.

But Snap wasn’t out of the woods yet. He hadn’t woken up until a week later. By then, his wounds had closed up, but the damage was still there. The poor guy could barely move. He constantly complained about pain. Morphine had even less of an effect on him than it did for Rudy. It was a miracle she and Rudy were able to be saved, but Snap was even worse off. The possibility of brain damage was still there, and he would have to be monitored for a while.

When Mr. Wilter came back five days ago to give them an update, she and Rudy feared the worst. While they were recovering just fine, slowly but surely, they didn’t know how well Snap was doing. He had suffered so much more than them...he was trying to hard to save them, pushing himself to his absolute limit... and it might just cost him big.

However, much to their surprise and delight, Wilter brought back some good news. While it was still too early to tell, the doctors informed that Snap’s health was improving steadily. His mind seemed to be functioning pretty well despite his brain being all banged up. They were hopeful that his brain would heal with little to no irriversable damage. They were also happy to report that the most swelling was in the front part of his brain, away from vital areas, which reduced the chance of him dying from the damage.

The other bit of news Mr. Wilter brought to them was that of Bardot and Draow. Hearing their names mentioned filled the two with dread and hatred. Rudy and Penny remembered all too well what had happened to them during their stay. They could still hear those monsters’ taunting voices, their claws digging into them, the torture they put them through... They were happy to hear that the two would be put on trial, and were currently locked up in Skrawl’s prison with none other than King Mumbo Jumbo to keep an eye on them.

Rudy asked Wilter why they hadn’t been tried yet. The teacher informed them that the zoners in charge of the court case felt it was best for Rudy, Penny, Snap, their parents, Rapsheeba, Blocky, and Terry to be present for the trial. So they were holding it off until they were well enough to come to ChalkZone.

Although their parents still weren’t sure what to think of ChalkZone, they didn’t mind the idea of a trip back in there to watch Bardot and Draow get punished for all the pain and misery they had caused. Penny and Rudy were both worried about what their parents will do about ChalkZone, though. The thought haunted both of them in their sleep. But their parents kept telling them they would discuss it more in detail after the trial and after they came home.

Penny wished they could get the talk done and over with now. As painful as it might be, as bad as the outcome could turn out, she wanted to get it done and over with. She wanted them to talk about what to do about ChalkZone so she could have a definitive answer. All this waiting around...she didn’t know if she could take it. Yet no matter what, she couldn’t convince her mom or Rudy’s parents to talk more. They were set on discussing this later. She had no choice but to wait.

She and Rudy also had another visitor, this one unexpected. None of them thought Terry, of all people, would come and visit them. She asked how they were doing and she looked pleased that they were doing pretty well, given all that had happened to them. Penny had a feeling she was there for more than just seeing how they were doing. And they were right.

Terry talked to them about ChalkZone. Before they could protest, she clarified that all she wanted to know was why they kept ChalkZone a secret and why they tried to stop her from exposing it. Rudy and Penny were confused by this as the woman had never tried getting their point of view on the issue before. Terry made it clear she wasn’t going to leave until she got an honest answer, so the two teens explained to her the best they could.

They told her about how, a long time ago, creators were given more free reign in ChalkZone and how it all had ended up badly. They told her about the incident with Mr. Cosmo and how the creators had gotten aggressive and had to be forced out. They told her about how letting ChalkZone be exposed to the world would mean the exploitation of it and the zoners as well. They were worried about what damage could be caused to the place from this, how their homes could be destroyed, their lives taken or damaged, being turned into slaves like what Mr. Cosmo tried with them.

After they explained, Terry didn’t reply. She looked at them thoughtfully for a few minutes. Then she thanked them for their time and left, wishing them to get well soon. Rudy and Penny weren’t sure what to make of it. They could only hope that their words got through to her somehow.

“Do you think you’ll be prepared..?”

Penny turned her head to Rudy. His face was turned towards hers. He stared at her like he was waiting for a reply.

“What?” Penny asked, confused.

“The trial. Do you think, when the time comes, you’ll be prepared?” Rudy asked.

Penny paused for a moment. She sighed softly. “I don’t know, Rudy.” She turned her gaze up to towards the ceiling. “It feels all..strange you know?” She looked back at Rudy and saw that now, he was the one confused. “I mean, after all that has happened...after all we had been through, it feels strange that it’s..almost over. Once those two are tried and given their proper punishments..it would almost be like nothing happened.”

Rudy nodded his head. “Yeah..I get what you’re saying. When we were trapped in ChalkZone, I wasn’t sure, at times, if we would get out of it. But like you, I never gave up on Snap. I knew he could save us, and he did. But in the moment, as we were being tortured, it did feel like that..it would never end...”

“But we’re safe now. That’s what counts.” Penny said, a small smile forming on her face. “And we will all get the closure we deserve. Bardot and Draow will finally be punished for all their wrong doings.”

Rudy smiled as well. “Heh...it’s almost like Mr. Cosmo is being punished.” Penny stared at him. Rudy looked upwards towards the ceiling. “They are both his creations. They are both so much like him. Now they have been arrested and are awaiting trial. In a way...Mr. Cosmo has been captured. Maybe now...maybe now, at long last, Ms. Saffron can get some closure, too.”

The mention of Ms. Saffron’s name caused Penny’s eyes to water. It often bothered her, hurt her, that after being so ruthlessly killed by Mr. Cosmo, that the man had ‘gotten off easy’ and died rather than facing trial and getting the punishment he deserved. She felt that it wasn’t fair to Ms. Saffron. She didn’t think it was a good enough closure to the woman who had risked everything to save her and her friends a year and a half ago.

Rudy’s words did lift her spirits a little. Even though it wasn’t Cosmo who was being tried, the fact that the two zoners were still created by Cosmo...the fact that they were like Cosmo in many ways, that they were a piece of Cosmo... It did bring a stronger sense of closer for Ms. Saffron than Cosmo just being killed off the way he had. While she would have preferred Cosmo himself being on trial, his creations being tried for their horrific crimes was the next best thing.

“Yeah... I agree...” Penny whispered softly. “I can’t wait for all this...to be finally over...”

Rudy nodded his head. “Yeah...me too...”

sss

Four weeks later, the trial was now taking place. Rudy, Penny, and Snap were well enough now to attend. Their body slashes had mostly healed, leaving behind reddish marks, and they were fading as each day passed. Snap’s injuries, including his stomach and chest, looked a lot better now. Rudy and Penny still had to get around with crutches and Snap still wore a cast on his arm, a cloth attached around it and over his neck to steady the arm. Rudy’s arm was also in a similar cast, though this one covered his broken hand as well.

It was nice being reunited with Snap. Not being able to talk to him was hard on them. They had to rely on Mr. Wilter giving them updates. Now seeing him for the first time in over a month, almost two, it lifted up their spirits. It was nice to finally see Snap again. It was nice to see that he was doing a lot better and was making great progress in his recovery. He was happy to see them, too, and was grateful that his efforts to save them hadn’t been in vain. He was happy that they were alive.

But as much as they wanted to keep talking to Snap, now wasn’t the time for sentiment. Now wasn’t the time to get caught up with each other and have a group hug. No, right now, it was time for the trial. It was about to begin.

The three of them sat next to each other. Their parents sat next to them. Terry wasn’t far off. Rapsheeba and Blocky were there, too. Barney had showed up for the trial as well after it became known that he was also a victim of Bardot. He was joined by his friend, Mumbo Jumbo, who was eager to see Bardot get served some punishment for what he had done to his friend.

In front of them, they could see the judge, a giraffe-like zoner, staring down at the audience. Next to him, he had a mallet, much like a judge in the real world. This whole place, despite being in ChalkZone, felt like a courtroom Rudy would find in the real world. It didn’t surprise him. Considering this place had jails, it didn’t surprise him that courtrooms like this existed here. He had never been to one before until now. It was a new experience for him. He just wished it was under better circumstances.

Then the door opened up. Rudy and the others turned to see the Beanie Boys holding the door open. Walking into the room was Skrawl. In a single fist, he held the leashes that were attached to the two criminals, Draow and Bardot.

Chains were attached to their feet, securing their legs not far apart so they couldn’t try to run away. A muzzle was placed on their heads so they weren’t able to bite anyone, although they could still talk. The muzzles were made of what looked like thick mesh with some thicker bars, so their mouths could be seen. And on Bardot’s face, there was a smile, while Draow’s held a furious frown. Attached around Bardot was a purple collar, which sent thin pulses of purple energy over him, subduing his red chalk side and making him easier to control. Draow’s wings were tied against his body with thick leather, preventing him from taking flight.

The two were brought forward in front of the judge. Skrawl stopped and gestured for them to stop as well. Though under normal circumstances, they would not, the two criminals knew they had no choice. They turned their heads up towards the judge and waited for him to speak.

“Draow. Bardot.” The judge said. “You two are accused of the capture, the torture, and the killing of multiple citizens. How do you plead?”

Draow answered almost right away. “Not guilty.”

Rudy narrowed his eyes at this. The others with him weren’t pleased either. Of course the monster would try to plead not guilty. He was a coward, just like Mr. Cosmo.

Then it was time for Bardot to speak. At first, he remained quiet. He lowered his head a little. There was a soft growl coming from him. At first, Rudy thought he was getting angry again. He could hear Snap whimper a little. He couldn’t blame him. The last time Bardot lost his temper, Snap had been ripped apart.

But then he soon realized it wasn’t angry growling he was hearing, but some beastly form of chuckling. It became a little clearer as the seconds passed. A sneer spread cross Bardot’s face, exposing his teeth in a hideous grin.

“Guilty.”

Rudy was shocked by this. He looked over at Penny and Snap. They were just as surprised as he was. Bardot...was pleading guilty? Rudy didn’t think he was going to do that. He thought that he was going to do whatever it took to get himself out of here. But the fact that he just...confessed like that... He couldn’t think of why he would do such a thing.

Even Draow looked shocked by this. The bat wolf stared at Bardot with wide eyes, his ears pricked up straight. Bardot gave him a sideways glance. The smile never faded from his muzzle.

“Why would you...” Draow said. The tone of his voice suggested that he felt betrayed.

Bardot chuckled. “I cannot tell a lie, remember?” He said, raising his head up a little and tilting it to the side. Then he glanced up at the judge. “I will not lie. My partner and I are guilty. We did do a lot of horrible things...as the people in the audience there can attest..” With that, Bardot gave an eerie smile at Rudy and the others.

The parents huddled closer to their kids, glaring at the yellow and red monster. They were determined to protect their children in case he broke loose. Terry glared hatefully at him, forming a fist in her hand. Rudy, Penny, and Snap shivered in fright, but glared defiantly at the zoner. This just prompted a laughter from Bardot before he turned his head away.

The giraffe judge looked down at the two beast zoners. “Since you two cannot agree, we will have this trial. We will look at the evidence and then decide your fates.” The judge slammed his mallet down. “Court is now in session!”

sss

It took almost two hours of explaining and going over the evidence, but now was the moment Rudy and the others were eagerly waiting for. He looked over at Barney. He was fidgeting. It had been hard for him to go up there and explain what happened. It was hard on all of them, but it was the worst for Barney, who was tortured for over a year. Out of them all, he had been Bardot’s biggest victim.

But now it seemed it was all going to be over. The judge had called the jury to go over the evidence and make a decision. All they had to do was wait. Most certainly, they would find Bardot and Draow guilty and they would be imprisoned, or whatever was going to happen to them. Rudy wasn’t sure what their fate was, but he was confident it would be something fitting for these two monsters.

The jury came back and they all returned to their seats. He, his friends, family, everyone watched with great interest, wondering what the verdict and subsequent sentencing was going to be.

“Has the jury reached a verdict?” The giraffe judge asked.

“We have, yes. After much consideration, we find Bardot and Draow guilty.” The head juror stated.

“What? No!” Draow growled. He started to struggle. The Beanie Boys hovering around him held on tightly. They started to drag him towards the door. “You can’t do this to me!”

The Beanie Boys holding Bardot started to move. Unlike Draow, Bardot was more compliant and willingly followed them. “I had a feeling that would be the verdict.” Bardot said simply.

The judge said, “You two will be banished to the Fire Zone, a secluded part of ChalkZone where every day will be a living hell for you. You can still survive, but it will take all your wits and cunning. You put these people through a survival course, so that shall be your punishment. A barrier will be in place so you can never get out. You two are never to leave the Fire Zone.”

“No! You can’t do that!” Draow snarled.

The bat wolf started to tug harder on his leash, making it hard for the Beanie Boys to hold in back. As he was being taken up the aisle, he pulled back and went towards where Rudy, Penny, Snap, and the others were sitting. He started to bark ferociously at them, baring his teeth viciously.

In reaction, the group huddled together, glaring angrily and fearfully at the beast. Rapsheeba and Blocky hugged each other. Rudy, Penny, and Snap held onto each other. Their parents moved in front of them, trying to block Draow’s view. Barney, who was further back, was horrified by the sounds of barking. Terry narrowed her eyes at Draow.

Suddenly, Draow let out a loud yelp. He moved back away, his ears lowering. It didn’t take long for Rudy to see what had happened. Bardot had come on behind him and drove his claws into Draow’s leg, drawing a little blood.

“At ease, Draow.” Bardot said in a calm voice. “Stand down.”

Even though Bardot was subdued and had one fang left, his new one still not fully functional yet, Draow lowered his head in submission and backed off. The Beanie Boys continued to drag him up towards the door where he would most certainly be sent to the Fire Zone immediately.

As Bardot started walking again, he suddenly stopped. The Beanie Boys glared down at him and started to pull hard. But Bardot didn’t move. Instead, he looked over at the individuals he had tormented the past few days. A satisfied smirk spread across his muzzle as he stared into their eyes, clearly enjoying the fear in them. Then his eyes locked onto Snap’s. The blue zoner let out a small whimper, but still glared at him, gritting his teeth.

“Congratulations...” Bardot said in an eerie voice. “You won the game.”

With that, Bardot started to follow the Beanie Boys. And in seconds, he was out the door. He was finally gone. Rudy and the others would never have to worry about him again.


	51. The Road To Recovery

Rudy sat down in his bedroom. He was sitting by the window, looking out and staring at the world outside almost absent-mindedly. He watched as the kids played in the sidewalks and in their yards. He watched as the cars zoomed by. He watched the clouds rolling over the sun, blocking out light momentarily, only for the light to return.

He watched as the trees swayed as a somewhat strong wind swept through them. Beautiful green leaves grew from the branches. Not a lot, but enough to provide a little bit of shade for the kids playing outside. He could hear their laughter, their joy, as they ran around, playing games. It was such a nice day out. Not too cold, not too hot. It was just right. If he were in a better mood, he’d be outside playing.

It reminded him so much of the fun he, Penny, and Snap had over the years in ChalkZone, from when they were children to when they got older. Well Snap was still considered a child at least chronologically. He was eight after all. He and Penny were sixteen, and would soon be seventeen. Staring at the kids playing outside made him think of the adventures they had when he and Penny were ten years old. The laughter...it took him back to those times.

Sometimes, he misses those days. Back when it was easier protecting ChalkZone. Back when the biggest threat they had to face was Skrawl or Terry or Vinnie, all of whom had been easy to deal with. It was before they dealt with some rather dark and twisted stuff. Before they knew about the dreaded black chalk, before they knew about the near holocaust ChalkZone suffered at the hands of Mr. Cosmo. It was before Rudy was almost corrupted, tainted, by the black chalk. It was before they knew about Bardot and Draow. It was before all this horrific stuff happened.

And now, unlike with Mr. Cosmo, something was going to change. There was no way they could erase their parents’ memories. They had asked Biclops about that, but the method upon which they used to erase memories was almost forgotten as they hadn’t had a reason to use it in so long. And Rudy wasn’t sure if it was a good idea to erase his parents’ memories because..well...he couldn’t think of a coverup story this time.

He had been gone for days. He had suffered so many horrific injuries. Just...how was he going to explain that to his parents? It might be best to just let them keep their memories, but then..what about ChalkZone? They still hadn’t talked about that in depth yet. The wait was killing him and Penny, and Snap was quite nervous, too. He was worried that he might not be able to see them anymore if their parents decide to close off the gates. Restriction was another option they thought, but even then...it wasn’t going to be the same. It would be really sad if, after all the struggles they want through just to survive, something like that was going to happen.

Their parents kept trying to assure their children that they would try to think of a decision that would be for the best. But that did little to comfort him and Penny. What their parents might think is the best might actually cause a lot more harm. They have no idea what they’re messing with. They have so little inkling of what ChalkZone was really like. They didn’t know what would happen if just any human could prance around the place. They really had no idea.

Rudy let out a soft sigh. There was nothing he could do about it now. He would just have to wait until the meeting took place. His dad made it clear that, soon, they would have a meeting in his house with Penny, her mom, his aunt Tilly, and little cousin Sophie.

Upon hearing that his aunt knows about ChalkZone, Rudy did freak out. His mom assured him that they only told Tilly and it was only because Sophie had made some wild claims that seemed to match ChalkZone. Rudy was still angry, though. It was a risky move. As much as he loved and trusted Tilly, he had no idea how she would have reacted to ChalkZone. She could have thought his mom was crazy, or she could have freaked out and told everyone... So much could have happened.

He was relieved when he found that Tilly really hadn’t told anyone else about ChalkZone and had agreed to meet with them to talk. His dad said that he wanted Snap to be there as well. They had already talked to Mr. Wilter more about what to do. Rudy hoped that he was able to convince them that ChalkZone was safe and why it was important to keep it hidden from the rest of the world. But the meeting could go either way, and ultimately it was down to the parents what would happen.

He often had nightmares about this kind of scenario. Sometimes, as he grew up over the years, he dreamt about his parents finding out about ChalkZone, and all the reactions had been terrible. Being locked out, being sent to an insane asylum, having troopers rush into ChalkZone, talking about it on TV.... All these flashed through his mind as he waited for the inevitable meeting. He had no idea how the meeting was going to turn out. He could feel his heart racing just thinking about it. His nightmares...might have just become a reality.

A tear escaped his eye as he turned his head to the side. He let the tear fall and felt it land on his right arm. He opened his eyes and glanced at it. His eyes trailed his right arm all the way down to his hand. He no longer wore a cast on his arm. It was still sore, but he could use it now. His hand, though, hadn’t regained all its function. At first, he couldn’t move it at all, but recently, he started to be able to move it a little. The doctors believed that, as time went on, he could regain some use in the hand. As for a full recovery, they weren’t certain and told Rudy to be extra careful.

The fact that he now had two weak hands did strike a blow to Rudy’s psyche. His right hand hurt too much to really use and he doubted the pain would go away any time soon. Whenever he wanted to go ChalkZone to visit Snap, he would have to have one of his parents, or Penny if she came over, to draw a portal for him. And he couldn’t even go through the portal with his broken leg.

His leg was still in a cast. He would have to wear it for another month or so. Three months tops. Legs always take so long to heal. His left arm, although not dominant, was strong enough to hold himself up with the crutch. He had gotten used to moving around with it. It did hurt after a while of using it, so he wasn’t able to walk as far as he used to. And going up and down the stairs always required assistance as his house did not have an assitive slope. It was suggested that he could get a second crutch, but that was declined since he wouldn’t be able to grab onto it with his hurt hand.

His gashes had closed up and the pain dulled. At least for most of them. His side still caused him considerable pain with how bad it had been. It was still wrapped up in tight bandages. The skin had covered up but it was thin and weak and could easily be torn. He usually wore something similar to a back brace to protect the injured area until it healed up some more.

His mind went to Snap. He thought about the last time he was able to see him, which was just yesterday. He had gone into ChalkZone with Penny to see how his friend was doing. Out of them, he was the one who would take the longest to heal. He had suffered so much, been through hell to save them. Raphseeba and Blocky had fully healed by now, much to Rudy and Penny’s delight, and they often visited Snap as well.

Snap’s recovery was going to be slow and painful. The last time he saw his friend, he was still covered in scars. The doctors feel most of them would fade away, but some of the deeper ones, like on his back and chest, might be permanent. Reminders of what had happened to him... Rudy wondered how his friend felt whenever he had to look upon those scars. He wondered if his mind flashed back to....him... Bardot...

And though the wounds had closed up, the pain was still there. Snap still complained of pain and often took a lot of pain killers to try to stop it. It was getting better. That was some good news. But Rudy would like it that he didn’t feel any pain at all. He wanted Snap to make a full recovery. But that was still up in the air. None of the doctors could confirm if everything would fully heal. At least the worst was done and over with. The blood transfusions were a success. The antivenom was a partial success; the purple chalk did the rest.

His arm was still casted. It was horrifically broken in the fight against Bardot. Rudy winced as he recalled what Snap told him, about how Bardot grabbed him and went all crazy. Although Rudy hadn’t been there, the details of how Bardot brutally attacked his friend were fresh on his mind. He could see it all vividly, and as he looked on the scars that adorned his body, he winced, imagining Bardot swiping him with his claws. Bardot was going to be on his mind for a long time, but at least he and Draow cannot hurt anyone anymore. They were locked up in the Fire Zone where they’ll never escape.

Snap’s internal injuries were still healing up. There was a lot of internal bleeding and damage that had been done as he played through those ‘games’. His lung and stomach especially were damaged. His lung was doing a lot better and the broken rib healed. He still couldn’t breathe as well as he used to, but it was still better than it had been before. His stomach healed up pretty well although it still hurt him. It at least healed up enough so he could eat properly without having to rely on an IV tube. He recalled how happy Snap had been when the was finally able to eat real food, to actually taste it rather than feel a cool liquid being pumped into his arm.

Snap was still being monitored for brain damage. There was some minor damage that was noticeable, but the doctors were certain it was just temporary. A little bit of damage to one part of the area caused Snap to stumble a little as he walked. His sense of balance had gone wonky. Because of this, he had to wear protective head gear. This symptom was delayed, confirming the doctors’ suspicions that the full extent of the damage Bardot caused slamming his head into the ground like that wouldn’t be noticeable until later.

But the damage to that area was relatively minor, and the doctors believed it would correct itself eventually. They just had to give it some time. They were more concerned about his frontal lobe, which had recieved the brunt of the damage. They continued to monitor Snap, putting him through tests that required the frontal lobe to try to assess the damage. So far, there hadn’t been anything noticeable. The only change is that Snap’s reaction time had slowed down, but it was a change so minor that it didn’t raise any red flags.

Though it looked promising, the doctors can’t be sure of anything yet. They want to keep an eye on Snap for another month or so just to be sure everything was all right. They didn’t want Snap returning to his sleeping quarters until they could be certain that he was out of danger. Snap was understandably frustrated that he was ‘trapped’ in the hospital, but he understood the consequences if he just left while he was still hurting so bad. And visits from his friends made it all the easier for him to cope.

But at least, at the end of the day, Snap was alive. And he was on his way to recovery, as they all were. Each day, he was doing better. Each day, he healed a little more. The same thing could be said about him, and of Penny too. The road to recovery was going to be a long and painful one, but if it meant that they’ll all be better and could all have fun again and not be confined to a room or by their own bodies, he felt he could endure it.

He heard a knock on his door, and it opened up slowly. He expected his mom or dad, but when he looked over, instead he saw Penny walking in slowly. She used her crutches to get in, being careful of where she set it so she didn’t trip over anything. She shut the door behind her and made her way over to Rudy. She stood not far from him, keeping her balance with her crutches.

Rudy took a good look at her. His eyes went over her injuries. Her gashes had closed up but he could still see marks. He thought that they all might retain some form of scarring after what they had been through. Her leg, like his, was still casted. None of her arms had been broken, so she was able to use two crutches. This did make simple acts like shutting and closing doors difficult but she could still manage okay. Her broken collar bone had mostly healed, though it still caused her some pain.

Overall, she was doing better than he was. Despite what Draow and Bardot said, it was he, not her, who suffered the more brutal injuries. And a part of him was grateful for that. He would gladly take the fall for his friends. Though a part of him did feel guilty. He didn’t like worrying his friends so much, and everytime Penny saw his still healing hand or his broken leg, she would look at him sadly, making Rudy’s heart tighten.

The biggest blow Bardot took against Penny wasn’t physical. He had done something to her that he did not do to Rudy. He had taken the life of a family member. He had taken her father away. Penny was still distressed about it, still had nightmares about it. Bardot had gone much further than just kill her father and tell her about it. He had tortured him, eating part of him in front of them... He had taunted her about his death. He had showed his tooth to her. And he had even briefly tormented Mrs. Sanchez about it as well.

Rudy comforted Penny the best way that he could. He tried his best to be there for her as she tried to cope with the loss of her father. Her physical wounds would heal, but her mental wounds might not. This would continue to hurt for a long time. There was no medicine he could give her to help the pain go away. The best he could do was be there for her and give her comfort if she needed it. He needed to be a shoulder she could lean on.

The funeral had taken place had taken place a week ago. It was a large funeral. Not just Penny’s father, but the other victims that had been slaughtered by Bardot were there as well. The funeral was meant to honor those lost by this mysterious serial killer. Nobody knew the details yet of what happened. Rudy hoped a fake story could be spun and delivered, one that would give closure to the suffering families, but also keep ChalkZone safe.

The funeral lasted a few hours as each grieving family member said a few words about one or more of the victims. So many people had showed up. Rudy had never seen so much depressing black in his life and he hoped he never would have to again. A funeral for one person was devastating enough, but five...it was even worse. Cries filled the air, some of which were coming from Penny as she hugged him for comfort.

His parents had permitted Snap to come along. He rode in the back seat of his parents’ car and sat next to Rudy during the funeral. Snap made a comment about how very depressing funerals in the real world were. It wasn’t meant as an insult; ChalkZone rarely had funerals like this; most of them were, as Snap put it, a celebration of life. Zoners could still die, but they didn’t die of old age. Though Snap did not know any of the people who died personally, he still grieved for them, as he had experienced first hand what it was like to be tortured to death by Bardot. He himself had died, and if it weren’t for Terry’s efforts, it would have remained that way. He had been lucky.

It had come as a shock to him and Penny when they found out Terry saved Snap’s life. They had a hard time believing that someone who had been their enemy so long had done something like that. Terry wasn’t even friends with Snap, yet she was so determined to save him. When asked why, Terry simply replied that she couldn’t just let him die after what he had been through. Her attitude towards ChalkZone and zoners in general appeared to be changing, but whether or not that would change things in the long run...they weren’t sure.

For now, they decided it was best to be on their guard around her. There was still a chance that she could still try to expose ChalkZone. Until Terry herself confirmed whether or not she had a chance of heart, they would be on full alert around her.

“It’s so hard to believe...” Penny said, breaking the silence. “After all that’s happened...it’s finally over.”

Rudy nodded his head in agreement. “Yeah...”

They went quiet for a while. Rudy’s thoughts went to ChalkZone. During a recent trip to ChalkZone, he and Penny found out that all of Bardot’s contraptions, the lands he had transformed for his ‘game’, had been dismantled and removed. The areas were returned to the way they once were, must to his and Penny’s delight. The hideout that Bardot and Draow used was also taken apart and bulldozed. There was little trace left in ChalkZone of their existence. No sign of what had taken place..well except the Fire Zone, but that was off limits and it wasn’t like they were going to visit that wretched place any time soon. After all those two had done, it was fitting the harsh and unforgiving land of the Fire Zone would be their punishment.

They had also visited Skrawl, Barney, and Mumbo Jumbo. Skrawl was happy to see that they were doing fine, although, being Skrawl, he didn’t show too much happiness. Rudy didn’t really expect anything less from him. Skrawl wasn’t the type of guy to really admit to his feelings that much, even if called out on them.

Mumbo Jumbo and especially Barney were happy that Bardot and Draow were now serving their name. It took Barney sometime to get used to being safe again. He had lived so long in fear, never knowing when Bardot would show up to torture more information out of him. Rudy understood why Barney still felt unsafe even after Bardot was punished. A year and a half is a long time to be tortured. At least he had Mumbo Jumbo with him to help him through this. The king offered to stay with Barney wherever he went and this time Barney accepted rather than push him away for his own safety.

Rudy offered Barney a chance to have his eyes restored using the magic chalk. He felt so bad for him because the missing eyes reminded Barney so much of what happened with Bardot. It was his deepest physical scar, the one thing that constantly reminded Barney of his months of torture. Rudy recalled how he had drawn an extra eye for Biclops and he wanted to try the same for Barney. There was still a chance it wouldn’t work, but he still wanted to try. Barney was willing to let him try since there wasn’t much to lose. He was already blind. The worst that could happen is the eyes would not function.

Rudy was happy when his plan had worked, despite how hard it was to draw the eyes with his injured hand. He fought against the pain, for that moment, because he really wanted to help Barney out. Barney was grateful to be able to see again and he and Mumbo Jumbo thanked Rudy. Rudy was glad he could help. He was glad that Barney no longer had that horrific reminder of what Bardot had forced him through.

He soon felt something brush up against him. He looked over and saw that Penny had sat down next to him. He realized that several minutes passed since the last time one of them had spoken. He knew the reason why. They were both still having a hard time believing that it was over now, that Bardot and Draow were finally stopped for good. Penny must be reflecting on recent events, just like he was. It was a lot to take in. And it would take them some time to get used to things being passive again. There was still that fear in the back of their minds that something, somehow, could still go horribly wrong.

And there was still the matter with their parents. Rudy felt his heart tighten a little as he thought about them. What were they going to do about ChalkZone? He was terrified about what the consequences might be. As bad as Bardot and Draow were, what they did pales in comparison to what a greedy human might do to ChalkZone. Zoners were easily stopped. Humans...not so much....

“It’s...it’s almost time...” Penny said softly, staring out the window.

Rudy looked at her. “Time for what?”

“The meeting.” Penny said. She gave him a sideways glance. “Remember? Today is the day our parents will...give their verdict about ChalkZone...”

Rudy’s eyes widened a little. That was right. Today was the day. His fears started to increase. Despite the fact that he had wanted to talk to his parents for some time about this, for the moment to almost be here...it did terrify him. This was it. This was the moment that could change everything. There was no going back.

The way his parents had used the word ‘verdict’ when they talked about their talk about ChalkZone..it made Rudy feel like he was going into court for something he did wrong, and his parents were the judges. It made him feel less comfortable about talking about the place, yet he knew it had to be done. If they didn’t talk about this now, it was going to continue eating him up inside. He knew his parents wanted to get it over with as much as he did.

“When?” Rudy asked softly.

“In fifteen minutes or twenty. They’re waiting for your aunt to arrive.” Penny replied, her voice low.

Rudy knew Penny was just as worried as he was. Wanting to comfort her, he put his arm around her and pulled her close, making sure he didn’t accidentally hurt her. She returned the half hug, pressing her cheek against his. She shifted her body a little so she was facing him. A small smile came onto her face.

“I...I’m sure it’ll be okay...” Penny said, trying to sound hopeful.

“Yeah. We just..have to hope for the best.” Rudy said. Hope...it was all they can do now.

Slowly, the two leaned in towards each other. They pressed their lips against each other into a kiss. They stayed like this for a few seconds and then broke apart. They smiled at each other, despite their growing fears.

Suddenly they heard a shout from downstairs.

“Rudy! Penny! Come on down here!” Mrs. Tabootie said, using her usual sing-along kind of voice.

“Well...this is it...” Rudy said quietly, the smile vanished from his face.

Penny nodded her head. “Yeah...”

After a moment, Rudy looked at her and said, “Let’s get Snap. I’m sure he’s waiting for us now.”

Penny nodded and she went over to Rudy’s chalkboard. As she drew the portal, as the light shined from the lines she was making, Rudy felt dread rise up inside of him. The meeting was about to take place. The fate of ChalkZone will be decided very soon. He could only hope for the best. He hoped that his parents would ultimately understand why they had to lie to them all this time, why they had to keep ChalkZone a secret, and come to accept it. Because if not...

...Rudy dreaded what the future of ChalkZone might be like.

sss

Rudy, Penny, and Snap headed down the stairs. It took some time with the crutches. Snap helped them down one and a time using his unbroken arm. It wasn’t easy, and it took a while, but it worked. As they reached the bottom of the steps, Rudy couldn’t stop the feeling of dread rising up inside of him. He no longer felt like he was in his own house. He felt like he was some strange land, where he didn’t know anyone. He felt like he was in a prison being sent on death row. So many thoughts swam through his mind, making his headache. Each step was almost like torture, as he knew that it brought him closer and closer to what might be the end of ChalkZone.

In the corner of his eye, before he even made a turn, he could see that their parents were sitting in the living room. They were still waiting for Aunt Tilly and Sophie to show up. They would at any minute. They saw their children and Snap walk down and they nodded their heads, acknowledging them. They turned their heads towards the television screen.

Rudy and his friends walked over. Rudy tried his best to hide his fear. He didn’t want to look terrified of his own parents. They hadn’t even done anything regarding ChalkZone yet. But something could still go wrong. And the looks they were giving him...it suggested they were pretty upset with them hiding all this from them for so long. He hoped that they would come to understand.

His thoughts were derailed when Penny gasped and pointed at the screen. Rudy looked over and his eyes widened in horror. It was some male reporter talking about how he found evidence of the culprit who harmed the five victims. His heart tightened up. Did...did Terry do something like this? Did she decide to expose ChalkZone after all...?

“You...you don’t think Bouffant...” Snap said in a low voice. He looked up at Rudy nervously. “After all that..did she really..?”

“I-I don’t know...” Rudy said softly, his eyes glued to the screen.

“Terry did find footage in Bardot’s hideout.” Mr. Tabootie said simply. He looked over at Rudy. “She said she was going to do what was best with it.”

That sent cold chills down Rudy’s spine. His friends looked visibly shaken. No...it couldn’t be... Even after all that, after all the explaining Rudy and Penny did...Terry was still going to expose ChalkZone. She had given the footage to some other reporter, and now that reporter was going to show it on television. Soon everyone in town, anyone who got this news station...they were going to know...

He watched the television screen, frozen in fear. He and his friends continued watching the screen. They could easily read the headlines. ‘Footage Of Culprit Found’... and there was a warning about how there might be graphic violence. Rudy wished there was something he could do. He wished he could go over to the station, grab the footage, and leave with it. But even with a portal....there was nothing he could do...

“I warn you, this footage may be graphic.” The male reporter said solemnly. “But as gruesome as it might turn out to be, I feel that it is important for the families who lost their loved ones to this psychopath get some closure in knowing just who it was who had harmed those they care about.”

Then it switched over to one of the anchor men. He was holding some papers stacked against each other. He straightened them out, staring at the screen with a worried expression. Showing something that might be graphic wasn’t something he liked to do.

“Thank you. And now....” The anchor man sucked in a breath. “Here’s the footage. We warn you...it might be graphic. It has been untouched and we were just given this footage now. So...let’s play it, shall we?”

This was it... Rudy wasn’t sure if he could watch. He shut his eyes and turned away. His body shook a little. In a second, footage of ChalkZone was going to play in front of the whole town. Everyone was going to know about it. Everyone was going to want a way in.

At first, he refused to open his eyes. He refused to look. But then, knowing he was going to have to face the music, that he was going to have to, sooner or later, accept that he failed as a guardian of ChalkZone, he looked over at the television screen. His eyes slowly widened in shock at what he saw. He had been expecting footage of Bardot and Draow, or of differnet places in ChalkZone. But this....this wasn’t what he thought he was going to see.

Judging from his friends’ expressions, they were surprised as well. They rubbed their eyes as if they felt that they were just seeing things. But looking again confirmed that what they saw was reality. There was no mistaking it.

The footage that played was not of ChalkZone. It was violent yes. Rudy would rather unsee what he just saw, and he felt bad for anyone with a squeamish stomach, whether they be young or old, who saw this. But the footage itself depicted shaky, blurry, sharp moving images of some kind of beast, a bear perhaps, or maybe a wolf, and it also included an image of it being shot, giving the impression that the predator had been stopped.

Rudy looked over at his father, his eyes wide in shock. “But...but I thought Ms. Bouffant brought back tapes and...”

“What’s...what’s going on...?” Penny asked, her voice so low it was barely understandable.

Mr. Tabootie gave a light-hearted chuckle. He gave a knowing sideways glance to the children, his eyes focused mainly on his son. “I told you.” He pulled out what appeared to be a video tape. He held it up in the air for Rudy, Penny, and Snap to see. “She wanted to do what was best.”

The trio of friends looked at Mr. Tabootie in shock. They weren’t sure what to think. They didn’t expect this turn of events. They never thought that Terry would really pass up on the chance to expose ChalkZone. They were so used to her trying to expose it...the fact that she did something completely opposite...it was hard for them to digest.

Their parents sensed their confusion. They looked at each other, nodded, and then turned back to the teenagers.

Mrs. Sanchez said, “She did consider showing it on television....”

Mrs. Tabootie spoke, “But she wanted to talk to you first. She wanted to get your side of the story.”

So that was why Terry visited them in the hospital. She had wanted a second opinion before she showed the footage to the whole town. She had considered exposing ChalkZone, but had second thoughts. This was...the first time they’ve known Terry to do this. The fact that she was having second thoughts about revealing ChalkZone... it did bring a sense of hope to them. That would be one less enemy to worry about.

“She decided, after what you two told her, that it would be a mistake to show the footage.” Mr. Tabootie said. “So she decided it was best to give it to you, Rudy.”

Mr. Tabootie held out the tape towards his son. Rudy stared at it for a moment. He reached out and took it. He held the tape in his hand. He was certain there was a lot more that Terry might have taken. If there were, he imagined his dad put it up in his room somewhere, maybe in his closet or something.

Rudy let it all sink in. Terry...seemed to have had a change of heart. He and Penny had finally convinced her to stop trying to expose ChalkZone. She must have seen just how real it really was during her stay. She must have come to the conclusion of all the damage that would be brought to the place if she had revealed its existence. It did feel a little strange, after all these years of trying to stop her, and he knew that he and his friends would still be on their guard.

Still, the chance that they might have lost another enemy and gained another ally, it did help them feel a little better. He looked over at Penny and Snap and smiled at them. They returned the smile, looking relieved and grateful that Terry did not send that footage in. That was one good thing that went their way.

But their parents still hadn’t delivered their verdict on ChalkZone... Rudy’s happy smile was replaced with a worried frown. Penny and Snap looked at him sympathetically. Rudy’s gaze turned towards the ground. An uncomfortable feeling rose up in his chest. He looked over at his father, who seemed to be able to read his mind.

“Aunt Tilly and Sophie will be here any minute. Then we will discuss the matter of ChalkZone.” Mr. Tabootie said, his voice taking on a serious tone. He eyed the three, narrowing his eyes slightly. “And when she does, you three have a lot of explaining to do.”

Rudy, Penny, and Snap nodded their heads solemnly.

“We know...” Rudy said in a defeated tone. “We know...”

sss

When Aunt Tilly and Sophie arrived, when the door opened up and they walked inside, Rudy felt his heart pound. It was almost like the bell to his punishment had been rung. The meeting was to start. Time seemed to slow down as they all headed into the kitchen, each taking a seat. Rudy and his friends sat on the same side next to each other. His mother sat at one front of the table, his father the other. And across from them, Tilly and Sophie sat.

The moment he and his friends dreaded, the moment they were waiting to get over with, was finally happening. He felt almost like he was in a courtroom. The looks his parents and Mrs. Sanchez were giving them made him feel uncomfortable. There was no telling what they would do after they told them everything they wanted to know.

His heart wouldn’t stop racing. His expression remained fear-filled no matter how relaxed he tried to be. He looked towards his friends. They were just as worried. Snap’s teeth were clenched nervously as he glanced around the room. Penny’s wide eyes looked at her mom and then she looked down at the table as if she was expecting to be yelled at.

The silence that took place was awkward. Despite the meeting now in session, nobody really said anything. And it lasted this way for a little while. The silence was becoming deafening, and Rudy wanted someone to try to speak. Why weren’t his folks saying anything? Why wasn’t Mrs. Sanchez? What were they waiting for?

Then, at last, someone spoke. It was his father.

“You three are not in trouble.” Mr. Tabootie said in a relaxed voice. He clasped his hands together and raised his head up. His eyes were closed and narrowed for a moment. He looked at his son, his expression holding confusion. “We just...want to know why...” Rudy and his friends looked at each other nervously. “Why, after all this time...did you keep this from us?”

A pang of guilt stung Rudy and Penny in the heart.

“We’re your family. Didn’t you trust us?” Mrs. Sanchez asked.

“What if you had gotten hurt in that place? What if we never found out?” Mrs. Tabootie shed a few tears as she spoke. “What if you got lost? We wouldn’t have known....where you were...”

Rudy knew he was going to feel horrible whenever his parents learned the truth. After so many lies...he was expecting this kind of reaction. He just..never knew it would hurt this bad. He looked at his friends. Penny was shedding a few tears of guilt. Snap had his head lowered, obviously feeling bad even though it wasn’t his fault.

Tilly was the next one to speak. “I would have thought, after all these years, you would have known to trust your folks...” She sighed softly and shook her head. “But to keep something like this from them... What possible reason did you have? What could have..justified something like this?”

“I’m....sure they had a good reason.” Sophie said. “He did try to get me out of ChalkZone when I went.”

Rudy was surprised that Sophie remembered that. Then again, ChalkZone was an unforgetable place. So it made sense that she would remember it.

Mr. Tabootie spoke up again. “We aren’t trying to make you three feel guilty. I hope you know that. All we want are answers. Please...tell us why you lied to us after all this time. Why have you tried so hard to...keep this place a secret from us...?”

“We wish to understand.” Mrs. Tabootie said through her tears. “We want your side of the story. Please...talk to us. Tell us why you did this...”

All eyes turned to Rudy. He lowered his head a little, feeling nervous that he was being put on the spotlight. But considering he was the one who discovered ChalkZone, he was the best person to start. He looked at his friends for support. They gave him small smiles in an attempt to comfort him. He smiled back, then looked back at his folks and Mrs. Sanchez. They looked at him, waiting for him to talk.

There was no going back. This was it. It was time he told them the truth. All of it. He could only hope that, once he did tell them everything...that they would be understanding. He hoped, prayed, that years of protecting ChalkZone was not going to come to an end. He didn’t want ChalkZone to suffer an unfortunate fate...

And so, he began his story.

sss

“And..that’s the whole story... That’s why we couldn’t tell you the truth...” Rudy said softly, his head lowered.

“We’re sorry if we hurt you.. We didn’t mean to.” Penny said. “We just...had to protect this place. The zoners might be drawings, but they’re still people. We don’t want to see them get hurt, exploited, even killed if this gets out.”

Snap bit his lip. “We hope you...understand...”

Rudy didn’t know how long he had been talking. An hour? Two hours? It felt like he was talking forever. His mouth felt dry and his throat felt a tad sore.

He had managed to tell his folks everything. He told them about discovering ChalkZone, meeting Snap, the different encounters they had, the story behind Mr. Cosmo, among other things. He didn’t tell them about all their adventures. That would have taken way too long. He had to pick a few most notable ones and told them about it. He didn’t hold details back. If they were in danger, he told them. If there was a particularly nasty zoner they countered, he told them. He knew that holding back information would make things worse.

He told them about what ChalkZone was like, how any human with the magic chalk could draw things into reality there, and how ChalkZone was the home of everything erased on a blackboard. He told them how diverse the place was and how most of the citizens were relatively friendly. Very few zoners were like Draow and Bardot.

He explained, the best he could, the consequences if just any human could enter ChalkZone. Because a human can draw anything into creation, they held a god-like status in ChalkZone. They could easily exploit this power to take over the place. He said that the zoners could be harmed or killed from this. He didn’t want them to suffer. And he mentioned that danger could be brought into the real world as well if a particularly large and dangerous zoner, like Draow, got into the real world.

Penny and Snap helped explain any details that they could. And they didn’t just talk about the negative stuff, like the suffering ChalkZone would go through if it were exposed or the occasional vile villain that showed up. They also mentioned the good things. They talked about the holidays the zoners celebrated, how they are generally nice towards each other and towards Rudy and Penny. They mentioned how the zoners looked up to Rudy as their protector and trusted him with their lives. Whatever positive they could think of, they made sure to bring it up.

Rudy could only hope it was enough. He hoped that, somehow, by some miracle, their folks would understand. So far, they were just sitting there quietly. No one, not even Sophie who had experienced ChalkZone once before, said a word. They looked at Rudy, their eyes filled with confusion and worry, and a bit of awe and fascination. Rudy had a feeling it would take them sometime to completely digest this information.

“So...you’re telling us that... this place, this ChalkZone...It would be in grave danger if word slips out about its existence?” Tilly asked.

“And you two are the guardians of ChalkZone, keeping it a secret in the real world?” Sophie added in, her eyes widened a little in understanding. Rudy guessed she was starting to understand why she was yanked out of ChalkZone. “After all this time?”

Rudy and Penny nodded their heads.

“It’s really important you don’t tell anyone.” Penny said pleadingly. “The damage would be irreversible.”

“We’ll decide that soon.” Mr. Tabootie said firmly.

Rudy flinched at this. Even after explaining, there was still a chance that their parents wouldn’t understand. A tinge tugged at his heart. He hoped that his worst fears weren’t going to become a reality. Please no...

Mr. Tabootie continued, “So you’ve been keeping this a secret from us since you were eight years old?” Rudy nodded his head slowly. Mr. Tabootie’s eyes widened and he put his hand on his head. “Eight years... Almost a decade. That’s a really long time to be keeping a secret.”

Rudy nodded his head. “Yeah I know...” He said regretfully. “I never meant to lie to you so much. There were times I wanted to tell you guys. But the risk...it wasn’t worth it. I didn’t want to bring so much pain and suffering to ChalkZone. I’ve been protecting them for years. I..I can’t turn my back on them...”

Mr. Tabootie sighed. “Yeah, I know, son. I know...”

Mrs. Sanchez opened her mouth to speak. She paused momentarily, like she was having a hard time thinking of what to say. Then she finally spoke. “We.... you really should have told us sooner...”

Mrs. Tabootie nodded her head. “I’m sure we could have worked something out. We’re your family. You could have trusted us.”

A pang tugged at Rudy’s chest. He didn’t like the way they were talking like that. Something inside his head was screaming at him that it was going to go all wrong now. Their parents sounded like they would have been more understanding if he had just told them sooner. But after years of lying...could he have damaged their trust in him? Could he have inadvertantly caused more harm than good?

His friends looked worried. He knew they understood what this could all mean. It might be over. After years of fun and adventures and hanging out, it just might all come to an end now. The feeling of finality hit him hard, and he tried his best not to shed tears.

Mrs. Tabootie seemed to take notice of how sorrowful the three looked. “I’m sure this is hard on you... I admit, we should have just spoken to you the first chance we got. And if we caused you any stress by holding this off, we are sincerely sorry.” Her husband and Mrs. Sanchez nodded in agreement. “We really did think that we did the right thing by holding this off, but, judging from how upset you three looked even before we started, I see we were wrong.”

“We’re sorry.” Mrs. Sanchez said, looking at the three with sympathy.

“We understand why you did it.” Rudy said. He wanted to say that they were right, that it did make things worse by holding it off, but he held his tongue. He took another glance at his friends and then spoke the dreaded question. “What’s...what’s your verdict...?”

“What are you going to do? Now that you know everything...” Snap said, a tinge of fear in his eyes. “What’s your plan..?”

Sophie looked up at her mother. “What’s going to happen?”

Tilly bit her lip. She glanced at the other adults. She didn’t respond. In fact, none of the adults spoke. They just looked at each other, giving each other glances that held confusion, frustration, interest, and several other emotions. It was almost like they were talking to each other, but telepathically.

Soon, the adults got out of their seats and walked into the living room. Sophie remained where she was and glanced over at where the adults went. Rudy, Penny, and Snap stared off after them. They could hear their whispers. They couldn’t make out too much of what they said. A word or two, but that was it. Some of the whispers sounded angry, others more sympathetic. But nothing they heard put the trio’s mind at ease. Nothing really revealed what the adults planned on doing now that they know everything about ChalkZone, now that they know that this place existed and where they had disappeared to all this time.

Five minutes passed by and the adults were still talking. Their whispers echoed in their minds, teasing and taunting them. The trio had no idea what to expect. Anxiety rose up inside of them. They couldn’t fight off their fears really well. Their bodies started to shake slightly. Each second that past by felt like an eternity. And as time went on, the more stressed out they became. The only thing they could do was hope that the best case scenario was going to happen.

Finally, after a couple more minutes, the whispers stopped. They heard the shuffling of the adults getting up out of their seats. They all came walking back into the kitchen. They didn’t bother sitting down. They stood next to each other, eyeing Rudy, Penny, and Snap. Their expressions were serious, and they looked almost...regretful.

Rudy’s heart tightened. It...it looked like whatever answer they were going to give... It wasn’t going to be a good one. He hoped he was wrong. As his heart started beating faster, he hoped he was wrong. But when the adults looked at each other nervously, he felt his heart break. No...it couldn’t be...no...

“Son...I’m not sure how to tell you this. I know what I want to say, but putting it to words...” Mr. Tabootie said, rubbing the back of his head. He clenched his teeth and sucked breath through it as he continued to rub his head thoughtfully and nervously.

“Just say it...” Rudy said, his voice sullen and defeated. He might as well accept fate. Penny and Snap lowered their heads a little in sorrow. “I know you want to say it. So do it.” Sophie glanced at her cousin, looking at him sympathetically.

“This world of chalk, this ChalkZone...” Tilly said. “It really means a lot to you...doesn’t it?”

The trio nodded their heads.

“And if anything were to happen to it, it would break your hearts...wouldn’t it?” Mrs. Sanchez asked.

“Yeah it would.” Penny said sadly.

“P-Please...you can’t...” Rudy begged, a few tears forming in his eyes. “You must understand...”

Mr. Tabootie raised his hand up. Rudy and his friends grew silent and stared at him expectantly. “We...talked about this in the living room. We’re sorry it took so long. But it was hard to decide what appropriate action would be best. Trust me when I say coming up with a decision wasn’t easy. We thought about what you told us, what Mr. Wilter told us. We took every word into consideration. And after talking it out, we decided that...”

This was it... The decision... Dread filled up inside of Rudy and his friends. They stared at Mr. Tabootie intently, waiting for him to continue. Rudy knew that it could go either way. He knew that the next phrase could be the beginning of the end.

Time seemed to slow down for him. All he could hear was his heartbeat. Pounding harder and harder against his chest. Shivers went through his body. He tried to suppress it. Yet it was hard for him to hide his fear. He couldn’t stop the overwhelming mental agony growing in his chest and stomach. Everything...everything was riding on what his dad was about to say next.

And when his dad did continue speaking, Rudy couldn’t help but close his eyes and turn away. He feared the worst and waited for the horrible news to be delivered.

“...well...if keeping this place a secret is important to you... We’re with you ‘till the end.”

Rudy froze, sucking in a sharp gasp. His eyes flew open. Did...did he hear him right? Did his dad really say that? A confused feeling overtook him. He and his friends, with shocked and perplexed expressions, all looked at Mr. Tabootie. He wondered, his friends wondered, if he had really said that. Did they hear him right, or was it just their imaginations? Were they dreaming? Or was this reality?

As they stared at the man, slowly, a smile came onto his face. A smile of confirmation... Mrs. Tabootie and Mrs. Sanchez also started to smile at them. Slowly, they nodded their heads, affirming their decision. It was a simple gesture, but it had a profound impact on the trio.

Waves of relief hit him hard. It went up and down their spines. Their bodies shook with emotion, this time from happiness rather than fear or worry. It felt like a large weight was lifted off their shoulders. All the anxiety they were feeling, it all lifted away as if some hand came down and yanked it off of them. Tears of happiness welled up in their eyes. They were unable to stop the strong wave of emotion sweeping through them, and they weren’t sure if they wanted to.

This...this was the best news they could have gotten. It was the best case scenario. Their folks...they understood. They not only understood, but they appeared to have accepted ChalkZone. The fear that they would expose it was laid to rest. And the more they looked at the adults and Sophie smiling, the more they realized that it was not a dream, but reality. This wasn’t some fantasy they had where they accepted ChalkZone...

...it was real life. They really had understood why ChalkZone had to be kept secret..and they were willing to go along with it...

“Thank you...thank you so much...” Rudy said, wiping away a tear as they came. “You don’t know...how much that means to us.”

“We really appreciate it.” Penny said, her voice a little choked up from the strong relief running through her.

Snap smiled gratefully at the adults. “Thank you for understanding.”

Mr. Tabootie’s smile spread a little wider. “You three are quite welcome.”

“What...what helped the decision?” Penny asked.

Mr. Tabootie, continuing to smile, turned his gaze upon Snap. “Your friend did.” Rudy and Penny looked at Snap, who looked up at Mr. Tabootie in surprise. “When we were talking about what to do about ChalkZone, we did consider everything you told us. And we did come to understand why you kept a secret, but even then, it was still hard to make up our minds. It was when we reminded each other of what your friend went through to save you two...that was the clincher.”

Mrs. Tabootie walked over towards Snap. She smiled down at him, holding her hands together. “We saw the way you kept fighting off Draow, no matter how hurt you got. We saw how much pain you were willing to go through as long as you were able to save them. We could see just how much you care about our children, and if it weren’t for you...they wouldn’t be here.”

The large woman lowered herself a little. She put her arms around him, careful not to hurt him, and pulled him into a hug, as tight as she could without hurting him. Tears of happiness flowed down her face.

“Thank you...” Mrs. Tabootie whispered.

She let go as Mr. Tabootie and Mrs. Sanchez came over. They took turns hugging Snap and, like Mrs. Sanchez, thanked him for his efforts to save Rudy and Penny. And for each one, Snap did say ‘you’re welcome’ and hugged them back with his unbroken arm. Mr. Tabootie and Mrs. Sanchez shed a few tears of happiness as they hugged the blue and white zoner.

Tilly and Sophie smiled as they looked over at Snap. Tilly said, “You’re always welcome here, Snap.” Sophie giggled happily when the blue zoner returned their smiles.

“We were worried that you two might get hurt in a world like that. We felt that you’d be safer if you had someone with you to protect you. A supervisor. But we realized..you already had one all along.” Mr. Tabootie said. He gently stroked the top of Snap’s head. “Your friend here is a real trooper. And he has shown himself to be an excellent guardian. He has earned our complete trust.”

Rudy and Penny’s smiles broadened at this. Elation welled up inside of them. They never knew they could feel this much happiness and relief all at once.

Mr. Tabootie lowered himself, gently squeezing Snap’s shoulders. He looked at him in the eyes and spoke. “We trust that you’ll be able to keep our children safe...in case something like this ever happens again.. Can you do that?”

Snap nodded his head. “Of course! They’re my best friends! I’d do anything to protect them.”

Mr. Tabootie said, “Yeah...we know.” He pulled him into another hug. “Thank you.” After he hugged Snap for a few seconds, he straightened up and looked back at Rudy and Penny. “We will not be putting any restrictions on you two. You have proven to us that ChalkZone is safe, and we have seen how far you all are willing to go to protect each other. So we find it unnecessary to bar you from entering that world. We only ask that you, if possible, tell us when you go there so we’ll know where you are. That is our only request. Do you accept?”

Rudy and Penny didn’t even have to think about that. They nodded their heads swiftly, very happy that their parents not only accepted ChalkZone, but weren’t going to restrict them in any way. Telling them where they’ll be going isn’t really a hindrance, and if anything, it provides a sense of relief.

No longer did they have to lie to their folks. No longer did they have to worry about getting back in time, or race to come home before they noticed they were gone. No longer did they have to come up with stories. No longer did they have to feel guilty.

Their parents have relieved them of all that. A great burden was lifted off their shoulders. Their parents had extinguished their fears. And things were only going to get better from here.

Mrs. Sanchez went over to Penny and pulled her into a hug. Mr. and Mrs. Tabootie went over and hugged Rudy. And Tilly and Sophie hugged Snap. And as they hugged, Rudy let his mind wander a little.

He thought about all they had been through. He thought about how he and Penny were captured and tortured, and how Snap came to save them. It had felt hopeless for a while until he came, and risked his life to save them. He remembered how worried he had been when his parents found out about ChalkZone. He was worried that, after all the pain they had been through, that even after Bardot and Draow were taken care of, that something awful would soon come out of it.

But now those fears were washed away. They were gone, replaced with happiness, relief, elation...all welling up inside, making him shake a little from the emotion. Words couldn’t describe how happy this made him feel. He was so relieved that, despite his initial fears, everything was going to be okay.

Their folks really did choose what was best for them. And he couldn’t thank them enough for it.


	52. Epilogue

Rudy stood on the grassy field, surveying the area all around him. It was hard to believe that, not so long ago, he and his two friends were having fun here, a rousing game of chalk golf. It was hard to believe at this place had been torn apart by fire and lava, and has since then been reconstructed. It looked like nothing had happened to this place. And standing here, a weird feeling tugged at his heart. It was almost like he and Penny were never kidnapped.

It had been three months since the incident with Bardot. Two long months. The recovery process was not easy. It had taken until about a month ago before the pain he and his friends experienced got a lot better. Even now, though, it was still a little tender. It was still better than it used to be, though. They had some scarring, which he had expected, especially with how deep some of the wounds were. But they were alive, and that’s what mattered. A few scars didn’t really bother him so much, knowing that they had managed to come out alive in the end.

His arm was doing a lot better now, the bone pretty much fully healed by now. His leg had mostly healed and he no longer needed to wear a cast. However, he did still need to use a cane to get around as his leg could not yet bear his full weight. The doctors say it will take a little longer before his leg is ready to be used regularly. To help out, they had him come to therapy so he can regain the strength he lost from his leg. His arm recieved the same treatment.

His hand had mended. It still radianted in a dull ache from where Draow had bit him. He knew it would get better in time. For now, painkillers helped immensely here. Much to his delight, he had regained some use of his right hand. It wasn’t where it used to be, but he could at least hold objects again such as the magic chalk. But his right hand got tired faster than it used to, so he had to go for therapy for his hand as well. The doctors did believe he had a chance at regaining full use of his right hand once more, and he just needed to give it some time. Rudy certainly believed that as, each day, it felt like he gained more and more strength in his once shattered hand.

Penny’s injuries had also healed up pretty well. She didn’t complain about pain as much as Rudy, although once in a while, one of her scars would sting her. Her leg was healed up as well and she was able to walk. Her leg managed to heal faster than Rudy’s and she didn’t need a cane as often as he did. Walking was still a little painful for her, and like him, she still needed therapy. Rudy was just glad that she was able to recover at all. He no longer felt guilty about being injured. It wasn’t like he chose for it to happen or wanted it to. It wasn’t his fault. It was Bardot’s and Draow’s. It was their fault this all happened....

His mind turned to Snap. Out of the three of them, he was the worst off. He had suffered the most severe injuries. He was the one who had been closest do death. Heck, the poor little guy had died. Even if it didn’t last long, he still died. Snap had been through so much agony to save them. No matter how badly hurt he had gotten..he still kept trying to save them...

Snap’s monitoring did still continue, but it was getting less and less frequent. The doctors believed permanent damage was unlikely. And though Snap sometimes still wobbled, even that was getting better as that area of the brain was healing and mending. There didn’t appear to be any damage to his bodily systems. Everything appeared to be functioning fine, outside of a hiccup or two regarding his sense of balance. Memory was still good, no changes in personality. The doctors still wanted to monitor him to make sure his brain is fine. But so far, they were quite optimistic about it.

Rudy was glad. His brain was the most stressing injury. The brain gets damaged, a lot could go horribly wrong. It wasn’t Snap’s only injury by far, but it was the one that caused him and Snap’s other friends the most distress. There was the very real possibility that something terrible might happen to him as time went on. So many things could have happened to Snap due to the brain injuries. It was a relief to know that, despite who slim the chances were, Snap was recovering nicely and hadn’t shown any severe symptoms.

His gashes had healed up and most of them no longer bothered him. Sometimes his chest or stomach do. Like Rudy, he took painkillers to try to cope with it. It was still a lot better than before, and each day, the pain dulled. Snap’s injured lung healed up a month ago and he no longer suffered issues with breathing. There was no longer any pain associated with it either. His stomach, which had been so horrifically damaged by Bardot’s claws, also managed to heal up nicely.

And then there was his arm. Snap’s arm no longer wore a cast. The bones had mended and reconnected. It took longer to heal than Rudy’s arm due to how badly it was broken. But though it didn’t need a cast anymore, he still needed therapy to regain strength in it. The arm was sore in the areas where the bone had been broken. And it was hard for Snap to use his arm a whole lot without aches and pains. It was still getting better day by day though, and Rudy knew, in a matter of a few months, all their injuries would have healed completely.

The dogs that Snap had drawn were given up for adoption. Snap was not able to take care of them properly with his injuries. So he, Rudy, and Penny had taken the dogs into town and put up an adoption stand. They managed to find homes for the dogs. Everyone who adopted a dog, Snap knew personally, which didn’t surprise Rudy considering how well known he is across ChalkZone. And Snap knew that those who adopted the dogs would take good care of them. Rudy was glad; the dogs did play a part in saving them and they did deserve a good home after that.

They had filled Biclops on what had happened. The giant was shocked to learn that there was a Cosmo creation that he had missed, but was grateful that they were able to stop him. He was horrified at how badly hurt the trio were, and frightened when they told him about how much worse Bardot turned out to be compared to Cosmo. Upon learning about the blue and purple chalk, Biclops admits he had heard of them at least once, but never knew their powers or where they could be found.

He wasn’t happy at first when they told him about how their parents knew about ChalkZone. They did their best to assure the giant that they meant no harm and had agreed to keep ChalkZone a secret. Biclops was understandably skeptical, but agreed to give the parents a chance. He would keep an eye on them and observe their behavior. If they go out of line, he would have them kicked out of ChalkZone. The trio understood these terms and agreed to them. They weren’t going to argue with the giant; he was only doing what he felt was right for ChalkZone.

They told other zoners about how their parents know about ChalkZone, and assured them everything was going to be okay. After speaking to them more, the zoners agreed to give the parents a chance. Rudy, Penny, and Snap planned an outting with the adults to show them around ChalkZone and telling them more about it.

This had taken place a month ago. They brought in Rudy’s parents, Penny’s mom, Tilly, and Sophie into ChalkZone. The tour lasted for a while, but instead of walking around, they used a tour centipede, like the one Snap used from time to time, only this one was larger, which made it easier for the adults to take a seat. The tour went great, and their parents were having a good time with them, especially when they got to one of ChalkZone’s celebrations. Even though they couldn’t eat anything since the food and water was made of chalk, they still had fun.

It was nice being able to tell the truth to their parents after so many years of being forced to lie to them. It was nice being able to be honest and open with them. It was such a relief to be able to head into ChalkZone without worrying about their parents. Their parents were amazed at what their children were able to accomplish, and they felt proud of their children when they saw just how much of a difference they made in ChalkZone, and how much the zoners really looked up to them.

His thoughts were interrupted when someone let out a cry of surprise.

“D-Did that ball just walk away?!”

Rudy looked behind him. The voice had come from Mrs. Sanchez. She was staring at the ball in shock, which currently had legs. It had repositioned itself, although Rudy couldn’t tell which direction it had gone. A small smile came into his face. The way Mrs. Sanchez reacted, it reminded him of Penny’s reaction when they were playing this game, just before they found out Draow had escaped.

His parents were also shocked by what had happened. They were looking at each other, perplexed. Although they got to know just how weird some of ChalkZone could be, there were still things that surprised him. And apparently, chalk golf was one of them. They weren’t prepared for this. Perhaps he and his friends should have explained it to them better.

Penny grinned at her mother. “It’s chalk golf, mom. That’s how it’s supposed to be played. The balls can walk in any direction by one foot. It makes it more challenging.”

“It makes it more confusing!” Mrs. Sanchez said, a little louder than she had intended. “Where’s the logical sense behind this?”

“That’s what my feelings were at first, mom.” Penny admitted, still smiling. “You’ll get used to it.”

“Yeah! Relax!” Snap said, grinning broadly. He held his golf club in his hand, twirling it with his hand. “ChalkZone is different. Expect the unexpected!”

Rudy walked back over to them. It was nice to, after all this time, to have fun again. He had offered his parents a chance at chalk golf, and they accepted. Penny invited her mom as well. Tilly and Sophie couldn’t make it. Sophie had a doctor’s appointment and Tilly had several errands to run. Oh well. They could always come next time.

Seeing not just his friends, but family together having fun, it made him feel all happy inside. It was hard for him to believe that, after all the hardships they went through, everything turned out better in the end. With Mr. Cosmo, they almost lost ChalkZone to slavery and Snap nearly died, and in the end, they had gained a new ally. And recently, they were tortured almost to death by Bardot and Draow, Snap having died for a while, and they gained even more allies for ChalkZone. Things just keep getting better and better.

He hoped that it would continue being that way. He hoped that, down the line, more things would go their way. He hoped that things would continue to improve, especially in ways they never would have imagined. Their parents accepting ChalkZone....it came as both as a surprise and a great relief.

“Rudy!” His mom called after him.

“It’s your turn, son!” His dad said.

Rudy said, “I’m coming!”

Rudy rushed over to his parents. He positioned himself by his ball. He held his golf club steady. He pulled it back and struck it. He and the others watched, smiling, as the ball rolled across the green ground and towards the hole. And as he watched, Rudy continued to feel happiness swell inside his heart.

He and his friends were near death. They had been tortured and beaten. Just a few months ago, they were all feeling a little hopeless. It really did seem like, for a time, things were going to end. But they beat the odds. They brought Bardot and Draow to justice. They were serving their time. Their bonds with their family had grown stronger. Earning their happy ending this time was much harder....but in the end they still succeeded.

Things really had changed for the better, but in ways that Rudy had never imagined. And he couldn’t be happier for it.


End file.
